The Slide Home
by Michael2
Summary: Wade and Rembrandt slide home. As they wait for Quinn, a new menace threatens their world
1. Escape From the Island of Dr Moreau

May 13, 1997  
  
Thirty seconds.  
  
That is the amount of time left on the timer.  
  
Quinn Mallory, Wade Welles, Rembrandt Brown, and Maggie Beckett stand in a forest. There is less than half a minute before the vortex can be opened. and, if Quinn had entered the proper coordinates into the timer, they would slide home.   
  
Quinn kisses Maggie goodbye, and gives them the timer they had been using.   
  
These seconds are the longest seconds in his life, Rembrandt thinks.   
  
Then the timer reaches zero, and the red vortex is opened. This is it; this is the way home.  
  
they all hope.  
  
Suddenly, as if coming out of the shadows, Colonel Angus Rickman attacks Maggie. The other sliders look in horror at the man who had murdered Professor Maximilian Arturo.  
  
Quinn tells Rembrandt and Wade to just jump into the vortex. They hesitate for a second, but the look in Quinn's eyes tell them otherwise. They jump in.  
  
Now Wade and Rembrandt fly through the tunnel of light. Soon the tunnel of light disappears and they look around at their surroundings.  
  
The first thing they notice is the big, red vortex leading back to the island where they came from. Will Quinn come through?  
  
Or will it be Colonel Rickman who will pursue them through the vortex and kill them.  
  
they wait patiently for many seconds.  
  
Then the vortex closes.   
  
"My God," said Wade. "Quinn didn't make it."  
  
"Q-Ball," Rembrandt whispers softly. Rembrandt can only imagine Quinn getting killed by Rickman. He looks at the timer; there are forty-eight hours left, forty-eight hours until they can open the vortex back to the world they came from.   
  
He looks at his surroundings. He seems to be indoors. The walls are made of white plaster, and his feet are pressing against a carpet.  
  
He then sees a bed. and there is a man and a woman in the bed together, covering their bodies with the blanket.   
  
"I don't know who you are, or how you got here," says the man. "But we called the cops, and you'd better be out of here!"  
  
"Okay," says Rembrandt. "We were just leaving."  
  
The two of them leave the bedroom and head out the front door of the house. they find themselves on a residential street, with the night sky above them. From the looks of things, he and Wade seem to be in a suburban development somewhere in California.  
  
"Quinn was left behind," said Wade. "My God, he could be dead."  
  
Rembrandt looks around at the quiet street, not quite like the island laboratory which they had fled. They had to deal not only with Rickman, but with Huminals-human/animal hybrids. Rickman and the Huminals are fast becoming a distant memory.   
  
"We should not give up yet," says the singer. "Now, Q-Ball and Maggie have the timer which is set to track Rickman's timer. And from what I remember, they will be arriving home shortly."  
  
"But they can arrive hundreds of miles away." The sliding radius of the timers could open a wormhole anywhere between San Francisco and Los Angeles.  
  
"We'd better find out where we are," says Rembrandt. "the next thing we do is find a public library and do some research to see if this is home."  
  
"I don't think the library would be open at this hour, if this is indeed home. But I think there is someone whom we could call."  
  
Wade and Rembrandt walk down the street until they reach a street corner. the street signs show they are on Sierra Drive and Black Oak Street. They continue walking until they reach a major street called Westlake Boulevard.   
  
"There must be a gas station or a shopping center down the road," says Wade. And so she and Rembrandt walk down the sidewalk for a few minutes, until they reach a shopping center.  
  
"North Ranch Mall," says Rembrandt, looking at the sign. He then looks at a traffic signal at the cornet where the North Ranch Mall is located. He reads the signs hanging from the mast arms which hold the traffic signals.   
  
"Westlake Boulevard and Thousand Oaks Boulevard," he says.  
  
"And look, there is a sign for the 101," says Wade, looking at a green road sign. she and Rembrandt both remember that U.S. Highway 101 leads to San Francisco. "Well, let's make a call."  
  
Wade goes to a public telephone and dials 0 for the operator. She gives the operator the number for Quinn's house, and tells her whom she is.   
  
"Hello?" asks a female voice.  
  
"Mrs. Mallory?" asks Wade. "this is Wade Welles."  
  
"Wade?" asks Quinn's mother. "you're home?"  
  
"I think so."  
  
"Where's Quinn?" asks Mrs. Mallory.  
  
"Quinn got separated from us. We don't know where he is."  
  
"What happened to him?"  
  
"We don't know, Mrs. Mallory. He has anothet timer, and he might have followed us to this world. You might be receiving a call from him soon. Mrs. Mallory, we're now in the city of Thousand Oaks, and we'd like transportation."  
  
"that's really far away."  
  
"Mrs. Mallory, we need to check things out first. But we'll get home soon."  
  
Wade hangs up the telephone. "Quinn's mom doesn't know where she is," she says.  
  
"Maybe Quinn's somewhere where there isn't any nearby public telephones," suggests Rembrandt. "He must have followed us here. Listen, we'll need to get to San Francisco, and we'll need cash."  
  
Rembrandt and Wade go to an automated teller machine at the North Ranch Mall. Rembrandt uses his personal identification number.  
  
"So far, so good," says Rembrandt. "My PIN works here." He proceeds to withdraw three hundred dollars. Rembrandt checks the dollar bills. There are some pre-1995 bills; they all look the same as he remembers. "Money from before we left still looks the same."  
  
"Well, the last time we thought we were home, the Golden Gate Bridge was blue," says Wade.  
  
"And before that, Quinn's dad was alive," adds Rembrandt. "Well, there's no time to waste. We'd better call a taxi and head for the nearest Amtrak station."  
  
Elizabeth Mallory looks through the Rolodex in her kitchen. She then dials a number on one of the cards.  
  
"This is Elizabeth Mallory," she says. "I'm sorry to disturb you on this late at night, but I have important news."  
  
After paying the taxi driver the proper fare, Rembrandt buys two tickets for an Amtrak train to San Francisco. He also buys a copy of the May 13, 1997 issue of the Los Angeles Times. He browses the newspapers for references to pre-1995 history.  
  
President Bill Clinton is mentioned in one of the articles in the front section, and Governor Pete Wilson is mentioned in another section. Both Rembrandt and Wade scan through the newspaper. So far, there are no signs of any historical deviation.  
  
At least there will be more time to research the history of the world tomorrow morning, when the libraries are open.   
  
Then the train arrives, and they both sit down together in one of the cars. The train continues its journey to San Francisco.  
  
May 14, 1997  
  
The Amtrak train finally arrives in San Francisco. Rembrandt and Wade wake up. They immediately head for a Pacific Bell public telephone in the train station's waiting room and tell Quinn's mother that tthey have arrived and that they will go to her house. Then Rembrandt dials another number and asks for a taxi. Then they go wait outside.  
  
Soon a Ford Crown Victoria taxi arrives. When Wade and Rembrandt approach the yellow taxi, they find out that the taxi driver is none other than Pavel Kurlienko!   
  
"Hello," he says in this thick Russian accent.  
  
"We need a ride," says Rembrandt.  
  
And so they get in. The two sliders lost count of how many times they have met duplicates of this man. This duplicate may be their version of Pavel Kurlienko.   
  
Soon the taxi drops them off at the Mallory house. The two of them look at the house. This simple, tweo-story house is where their adventure began.  
  
Wade rings the doorbell. A middle-aged woman answers that she recognizes as Quinn's mother.  
  
"Mrs. Mallory, I am Wade Welles," she says. "It is such a pleasure to finally meet you."  
  
They both hug each other. "Welcome home," she says. And it is true they never actually met. Wade had met duplicates of Quinn's mother, but never the original.  
  
"Mrs. Mallory, is your husband dead?" asks Wade.  
  
Quinn's mother stays silent for a few seconds. "Yes."  
  
"What color is the Golden Gate Bridge?"  
  
"Red."  
  
"Please excuse us," says Rembrandt. "We just want to make sure we were home. By the way, ma'am, I am Rembrandt Brown."  
  
"You were the one who drove into the vortex, right?" asks Elizabeht Mallory.  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"Would you like something to eat?" asks Quinn's mother. "I have frozen foods which can be heat in the microwave."  
  
"No thanks," says Wade. "We'd like to go to your study."  
  
"Sure, its' upstairs."  
  
Wade and Rembrandt browse through the books in the study, including the World Atlas and the World Book Encyclopedia and textbooks on world and American history. All of the books were published before 1995.   
  
"Everything checks out," says Rembrandt. "We're home."  
  
"I hope so," says Wade. "I haven't checked out my own personal history. I guess I'll find out when I meet my family tomorrow."  
  
"You looking forward to that?"  
  
"Yes. I have so much to tell them."  
  
The two of them wake up the next morning. They both have Frosted Flakes cereal and toast for breakfast. As they eat, they wonder if they will receive a phone call from Quinn. But none came.  
  
then the doorbell rings. "It could be Quinn," says Wade.   
  
She, Rembrandt, and Quinn's mother answer the door. they hope to find Quinn.  
  
Instead they face a woman in a U.S. Marine Corps dress uniform. There is a pilot's badge over her left breast, and the rank insignia on her shoulders show she is s captain.  
  
"Maggie," says Wade.   
  
"You made it," says Rembrandt, thrilled to see the woman whom he and Quinn and Wade have known for the past three months. "Where's Quinn? Is he with you?"  
  
Then he sees another man standing behind Maggie, also dressed in a Marine dress uniform. He focuses on the face. It is a face that he will never forget.  
  
It is the face of Colonel Angus Rickman. 


	2. Interview with Captain Maggie Beckett

"Rickman," Rembrandt Brown slowly says as he looks at the Marine colonel, with rage deep under his breath. "You. YOU MURDERER!!!" Remrbandt lunges forward and tackles Rickman to the ground. "TELL ME WHERE QUINN IS! WHERE'S QUINN?"  
  
Rembrandt feels himself being pulled away and his armns restrained. "LET ME GO!" he shouts. "THAT'S RICKMAN!"  
  
"Remmy," says Wade Welles. "It's not him."  
  
"Who is he?" he asks.  
  
"He would be our world's Colonel Rickman."  
  
Rembrandt looks at the Marine colonel, who just got off the ground. "Uh, I'm sorry," he says. "I confused you for someone else."  
  
"What is going on?" asks Colonel Rickman.  
  
"Allow me to introduce us," says Maggie. "I am Captain Maggie Beckett of the U.S. Marine Corps, and this is my superior, Colonel Angus Rickman."  
  
"My name is Wade Welles," says Wade. "That is Rembrandt Brown."  
  
"Elizabeth Mallory called my cell phone last night," says Maggie. "She told me you and Mr. Brown had called her a few minutes ago. I came here tpo ask you questions."  
  
"Questions?" asks Rembrandt.  
  
"We've known about you for the past two years," says Maggie. "At the very least, we would like to know why you tried to kill Colonel Rickman here."  
  
"It's a long story."  
  
"Then perhaps you should join us."  
  
Maggie leads the two of them to an olive-green Ford Crown Victoria sedan. On the door is stenciling reading "US MARINE CORPS FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY".   
  
The Ford Crown Victoria is crossing the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge, right above the San Francisco Bay. Soon it takes an exit off the bridge which serves Treasure Island and Yerba Buena Island. Rembrandt is familiar with the place, having once been stationed at the Treasure Island Naval Station when he was in the United States Navy.   
  
Wade and Rembrandt can see that the car is headed towards Yerba Buena Island. The car parks near a building.  
  
"This place was constructed two years ago," says Maggie as she opens the driver's side door of the Crown Victoria. "Follow us."  
  
The four of them enter the building. They are now in a lobby, with couches and tables and a receptionist's desk. They enter the hallway and Maggie presses the button for an elevator.  
  
"We have six subbasement levels," says Maggie. "We will be going down to Sub-Level 1." She presses the button for Sub-Level 1 and the Otis elevator descends.  
  
The doors open, and the four of them emerge into a lobby, like the one on the first floor. A Marine MP sits at a table.  
  
"Are these guests, sir?" asks the MP.  
  
"They are guests of mine," replies Colonel Rickman. "We are bringing them here for questioning."  
  
"Yes, sir."  
  
The guard allows the four of them to enter the hallway. Wade notices not all of the people in here are Marines; some are technicians in lab coats.   
  
"What is this place?" asks Wade.  
  
"We will tell you after I question you," says Maggie.   
  
They all enter one of the rooms. It appears to be a conference room, with a table and chairs and a projection screen in the back.  
  
"I believe I shall question the woman first," says Maggie.  
  
"Okay, Captain," replies Colonel Rickman. "Mr. Brown can wait in the lobby."  
  
Maggie and Wade sit down. Maggie takes out a hand-held Sony audiocassette recorder. "I'd like to ask you some questions. First of all, how long ago did you start sliding?"  
  
"Well, it started in October of 1994."  
  
"Good," says Maggie. "How did it all begin?"  
  
"It started one day as I was working at the Doppler Computer Superstore in San Francisco. Quinn Mallory was my co-worker. Everything seemed normal until he said something to our boss, Michael Hurley. He was fired. He then kissed me. Later that day, Quinn came back and I confronted him about the kiss. He claimed not to know what happened. it was later that day when Quinn asked me to his house to show me something."  
  
"What was it?"  
  
"He showed me that he created a device which could open a wormhole. Professor Arturo and I were there. He opened it right in front of us. He said that one of his counterparts from another dimension visited him and explained everything and solved the equation on the blackboard. He told us the wormhole leads to the same planet in a different dimension. He could not yet control which dimension he goes to. He invited us along a trip. We went through and found ourselves in a world where San Francisco was frozen over. We also found out that another man had driven through the wormhole."  
  
"What car was it?" asks Maggie.  
  
"It was a red Cadillac."  
  
"Continue."  
  
"Anyway, there was this tornado coming, and so Quinn decided to activate the timer before the timer counted down to zero. We jumped in and landed in Golden Gate Park. It was later, when we saw a statue of this guy named Lenin, that we realized that we were not home. And so from that point on, we slid randomly from world to world."  
  
"And now you made it back."  
  
"As far as we can tell. The history books do not tell a history different from the one we remember."  
  
"So where is Quinn Mallory? And Professor Maximilian Arturo."  
  
"When we opened the way home, Quinn told us to go ahead of him. We waited for him, but he did not follow through."  
  
"And what of Professor Arturo?"  
  
"He was killed three months ago."  
  
"Can you describe the circumstances?"  
  
"We landed in a world where we saw a man get shot. The professor knew him, or rather, knew his duplicate from this world. Anyway, this U.S. Marine captain arrested us. It was your duplicate. She brought us to this military base where we met her version of Colonel Angus Rickman."  
  
"What a coincidence."  
  
"Anyway, your counterpart was assigned to a project which was researching sliding. They could not open a stable wormhole. Quinn decided to volunteer, hopiong that they could help us get home. Soon, we opened a stable womrhole, and Quinn and your duplicate started sliding. Along the way, they managed to find our home world. Quinn once said that it might have something to do with the fact that he used the original timer as a prototype, and the sliding generator tracked it to its home world."  
  
"Original timer?"  
  
"We had to replace timers a year ago. Anyway, the world where we were was about to be irradiated by pulsars, so we decided to evacaute the population. But Colonel Rickman had an ulterior motive. He had some disease which he treated by stealing brain fluid from others. Just before we left that world, he murdered the professor. He then escaped with the timer that had our world's coordinates. so we joined up with your duplicate and we chased him. Just yesterday, we captured his timer and used it to slide home."  
  
"What about the timer you were using?"  
  
"Quinn might have it, and it is set to track the timer Rickman used. Of course, he should have come here by now. I don't know what happened."  
  
Maggie stopped the casette recorder. "Thank you, Miss Welles. I will now interview Mr. Brown. If you will step outside."  
  
Wade stepped outside. Less than three seconds later, Rembrandt Brown came inside.   
  
"Maggie," he says.   
  
"Hello, Mr. Brown," says Maggie. "I would like to ask you a few questions."  
  
"Okay."  
  
"How did you meet Quinn Mallory?"  
  
"Well, Maggie, I was booked to sing the national anthem at the World Series in Candlestick Park. I was driving along the street when suddenly this whirlpool appeared right in front of me! The next thing I knew, everything was covered in ice! It was there that I met Quinn and he told me about parallel universes. There was this tornado coming, and he opened up another vortex. I jumped through and ended up in Golden Gate Park. I was really mad at Quinn because my car was left in the other world."  
  
"What kind of car was that?"  
  
"A red Cadillac."  
  
"Continue."  
  
"Since I didn't have a car, I took a taxi. When I paid the fare, I was arrested! It turned out I was not home. I was taken to this prison. Frotunately, Quinn and the others rescued me and I joined them and slid with them for two and a half years."  
  
"And what happened to Professor Arturo?"  
  
"He was killed three months ago. We were helping these people on another world to develop sliding so they can escape their world which was gonna be destroyed. But this colonel named Rickman- who looks like the Colonel Rickman here- had some disease and he was attacking people to treat himself. We got in the way, and he shot and killed the professor. And I am truly sorry for attacking your Colonel Rickman."  
  
"And what of Quinn Mallory?"  
  
"Rickman-the other Rickman, I mean- had the timer with our world's coordinates. We chased him from world to world, and we managed to take his timer. We opened the vortex to this world, but Rickman attacked, and Quinn told us to go ahead of him. When we reached the other side, we waited for him but he did not come. We assumwed he would follow us using his timer, but we haven't heards from him."  
  
"Did anyone join you when you were chasing Rickman?"  
  
"Yes. It was your double, Maggie. You see, Rickman killed her husband as well as the professor. She was left behind with Quinn. I don't know if they're still alive." Rembrandt takes out the timer he had kept with him. "According to this, we can open a vortex tomorrow night. Maybe Quinn lost his timer back on that island; maybe we should go back."  
  
"Well, Mr. Brown, I want to thank you for your time. I'm sure you want to get back to your family."  
  
Rembrandt and Maggie leave the conference room, joining Wade and Colonel Rickman.   
  
"How did you know about us?" asks Rembrandt.  
  
"Captain Beckett and I were summoned by the Joint Chiefs," says Rickman. "They told us that the FBI investigated your disappearance, and that the White House turned over the matter to the Pentagon."  
  
"I'd like a phone number where you two can be reached," says Maggie. "I'm going to discuss our interviews with the colonel here. One more thing." Maggie pulls out two cardboard cards. "These are my cards. If Quinn makes it home, I want you to call me. It has my office and my cell number."  
  
"You got it," says Wade.  
  
"I'll take you back to the Mallory house or anywhere in San Francisco you want to go."  
  
Minutes later, the U.S. Marine Corps Ford Crown Victoria staff car parks next to the Mallory house. Rembrandt steps out.   
  
"You're not coming with me?' asks Rembrandt.  
  
"I'm going to my parents' house," says Wade. "They've been waiting over two years to see me."  
  
"Have you called them?"  
  
"Yeah, I spoke to my mom. She was so happy."  
  
"I'll be staying here, Wade. I'll need your number."  
  
"Do you have a pen?" Wade asks the driver, who is a Marine corporal.  
  
"Yes," he replies, handing Wade a Bic pen.  
  
Rembrandt hands Wade Maggie's business card, and she writes a number on the back and returns it to Rembrandt. "Take care," he says. He kisses her on the cheek.  
  
Rembrandt heads towards the Mallory house. He looks as the Marine staff car disappears from sight.   
  
"This is the place," says Wade.  
  
She and Maggie look at the townhouse where Wade lived all of her life. It is a townhouse, sharing walls with the neighboring townhouses forming a row. There are many such houses in San Francisco.   
  
"I'll go down with you," says Maggie.  
  
"Do they know you?"  
  
"Yes, they do."  
  
Maggie walks up to the front door and rings the doorbell. A middlge-aged woman opens the door and sees the Marine captain.  
  
"Mom," says Wade.   
  
"Wade!" shouts her mother. They both give each other a hug, and tears flow down their cheeks. "I've been waiting two years for this! When I spoke to you on the phone, I couldn't believe it."  
  
"I missed you so much too."  
  
"Congratulations," Maggie says to the two of them. "I must be going now."  
  
Wade enters the living room, looking around the place she has not been to for more than two years. The layout is still the same, with the couches and the coffee table and the Magnavox wide-screen color television. There is a Time magazine on the coffee table; Wade scans through it to digest the changes in her world during her abscence.  
  
But is this her world? After all, twice before did she think she was home.  
  
Wade climbs the stairs and enters the bedroom she had as long as she could remember. It is the same as it was when she left, with the bed and the dresser and all the posters. There are two personal possessions she had. Looking under her bed, she sees her journal and her photo scrapbook. Looking through these, she reads every word, sees every photograph.  
  
"I'm really home," she says. She then goes down to the living room where she sees a middle-aged man.  
  
"Dad," she says.  
  
"Wade," replies her father, giving her a hug. "Your mom told me about you coming back. I'm so glad you're here. This is the happiest day of my life."  
  
"I know," she says. "Have you told Kelly?"  
  
"No, we haven't. We'd like you to call her."  
  
"I'll give you her number," says Mrs. Welles.  
  
she gives her daughter the number. Wade then dials the phone number on the kitchen phone.  
  
"Hello," a female voice says.  
  
"Kelly?" asks Wade. "It's me, Wade. I'm home."  
  
Rembrandt sits on a chair in Quinn's bedroom. He looks at his surroundings. He sees the telescope and the poster with the caption "I Brake For Asteroids". He sees Quinn's high school graduation photo sitting on a dresser.  
  
He spent the past few hours browsing the Internet, looking up information about himself. So far, everything he read is just as he remembered.   
  
"So this is your room, Q-Ball," says Rembrandt. "I remember when I was mad at you for taking me along. I never said this out loud before, but I forgive you."  
  
"Rembrandt," says Elizabeth Mallory. "Wade Welles is on the phone."  
  
Rembrandt answers the phone. "Yes?" he asks.  
  
"Remmy, this is Wade. My parents and I invited Mrs. Mallory to dinner at Red Lobster. We want to invite you as well."  
  
"Red Lobster? You know I'm gonna be there."  
  
That Wednesday evening, the Welles and their guests arrive at a Red Lobster restaurant in San Francisco. It is a nice casual place, with varnished wooden tables. Along with Wade, her parents, and her sister Kelly, Rembrandt Brown, Elizabeth Mallory, and Maggie Beckett were all invited.   
  
The seven of them splurge when it comes to giving theri order to the waiter, an order that includes two appetizers. Minutes later, the appetizer is served, along with the complementary salad that goes with the entrees.   
  
"So you knew Mrs. mallory here?" asks Wade.  
  
"Yes," replies her mother. "We first met her back in January of 1995, at Yerba Buena. Captain Beckett introduced us, and the Marines were building a research facility there. We invited her over every Christmas and Thanksgiving. You know that she's a widow, and with her son missing and all."  
  
"I'm so glad that Wade came back," says Elizabeth Mallory. "I just hope Quinn comes back."  
  
"He's out there," says Rembrandt. "I know that Q-Ball is coming back. He has to."  
  
"Tell us about yourself, Mr. Brown," says Wade's father.  
  
"I was born here in San Francisco in 1956," replies the singer. "When I was eighteen, I enlisted in the Navy right out of high school. I spent four years in the Navy, including a six-month tour on board a destroyer. I began my singing career after leaving the Navy, moving to Detroit for a while. I was in this band called the Spinning Tops, and I became known as the Cryin' Man. I went solo after that, and then my singing career faded. I did go into music production. In October of '94, I was booked to sing the national anthem in the World Series. I drove right into the vortex, and spent the next two years sliding from world to world."  
  
"I was in the military," says Wade's father. "I was in the Army for six years, and I did a tour in Vietnam."  
  
"So did my husband Michael," says Elizabeth.  
  
"What about you, Maggie?" asks Wade.   
  
"I was born during the Vietnam War," says Maggie, wearing a black dress. "After graduating college in 1990, I was commissioned in the Marines through Officer's Candidate School, and I later became a pilot. I served in the Gulf War. I was awarded a Bronze Star for my service. Anyway, in 1995 I made captain and was assigned to Yerba Buena."  
  
Wadew looks at her sister. "what has happened to you since I was gone?" she asks.  
  
"I finished law school, and I passed the state bar last year," says Kelly Welles. "That same time, I was hired by the Alameda County District Attorney's Office in Oakland. I'm gonna be a prosecutor for a while before moving on."  
  
"Are you engaged to someone?"  
  
"No, I'm not."  
  
"What will you be doing, Mr. Brown?" asks Wade's mother.  
  
"I'm gonna have to get a job and a place of my own," replies Rembrandt. "I can't expect Mrs. Mallory to subsidize me. Tomorrow's Monday and that will be a good time to renew my life at home."  
  
"Tell us moire about your adventures," says Elizabeth.  
  
And so Wade and Rembrandt relate the two-and-a-helf years of stories they accumulating through sliding. They mentioned how they ended up on a world about to be destroyed by an asteroid, where Quinn's duplicate was an athletic star, their encounter with the kromaggs, their chase of Angus Rickman, and other stories. It takes a whole hour for them to tell their stories.  
  
Finally, dinner is finished and the hour is late.   
  
"Listen," says Maggie. "I'd like to invite you back to Yerba Buena."  
  
"For what?' asks Wade.  
  
"To see the facility."  
  
"You never told us," says Rembrandt. "What is the facility for?"  
  
"Sliding." 


	3. Return to Yerba Buena

May 15, 1997  
  
The blue BMW approaches the gate at Yerba Buena Island in the San Francisco Bay. Rembrandt depresses the brake pedal and the car comes to a stop.  
  
"I'm sure Q-Ball won't mind if I borrow his wheels," he had said. "After all, my car is still stuck on that ice world."  
  
"Excuse me," says the Marine Corps military police sergeant at the gate. "Are you an expected visitor?"  
  
"I'm Rembrandt Brown and this is Wade Welles," says Rembrandt. "We are guests of Captain Maggie Beckett."  
  
"Let me check," says the sergeant. He makes a phone call. "Okay, come through."  
  
The gate arm is raised and Rembrandt drives the BMW through. He soon parks the BMW at the Vistor Parking Lot.  
  
"Okay, Remmy," says Wade. "Let's see what Maggie has invited us to."  
  
The two of them approach the building where Maggie took them yesterday. The building was labeled "U.S. MARINE CORPS RESEARCH CENTER". They go through the front doors into the first floor lobby.  
  
Captain Maggie Beckett is sitting in the lobby, wearing her Marine Corps dress uniform, waiting for them. "Hello, Mr. Brown and Miss Welles," she says. "Come with me."  
  
The three of them enter the elevator and the marine captain presses the button for Sub-Level 1. "As I stated over dinner last night, we do research of sliding, or quantum translocation as the scientists call it." The elevator starts moving. "We did research here since 1995, when Congress appropriated the funds."  
  
The elevator doors open, and Maggie leads Rembrandt and Wade into Sub-Level 1. They enter the same conference room where they answered Maggie's questions yesterday.   
  
Wade and Rembrandt notice seven people in the room. They recognize Colonel Rickman; there are five other people in white lab coats with badges clipped to the coats, one of whom is in a wheelchair, and a marine with two stars on each shoulder.   
  
"Sirs," says Maggie, "I wish to introduce to you Wade Welles and Rembrandt Brown. They were two of the four people who went missing in October of 1994 which led to this project of ours."  
  
"Hello," says the Marine general. "I am Major General Alexander Hunt, program director of this facility. And you know Colonel Angus Rickman here."  
  
"We've met," says Rembrandt.   
  
"I suggest the staff here introduce themselves."  
  
"Hello," says man with brown dreadlocks. "My name is Conrad Bennish, Jr. I was the one who actually caused this to happen, man. I was a classmate of Quinn's."  
  
"My name is Wing," says a Chinese man. "I was also Quinn's classmate."  
  
"My name is Diana Davis," says a black woman. "I was recruited by the Pentagon two years ago."  
  
"My name is Vladmir Jariabek," says a middle-aged man with a Russian accent. "I knew Professor Arturo. I defected from the Soviet Union over ten years ago."  
  
"My name is Steven Jensen," says a brown-haired man in a wheelchair. "I was a quantum physics researcher and I received an offer from the government and I accepted."  
  
"Nice to meet you all," says Wade.   
  
"Allow me to explain how this all got started," says General Hunt. "It started when some people called and saw a whirlpool swallow up a red car. Rembrandt Brown didn't make it to the World Series as he intended. It turned out that four people went missing. The FBI questioned Bennish here, who was a classmate of Quinn Mallory. He told them what Quinn had been working on. Soon he led the four FBI agents to the basement of Mallory's house, and down there was the equipment and all the video tapes made by Mr. Mallory.  
  
"Mr. Bennish was soon summoned to Washington to confer with the President and the National Security Council, along with the President's science advisors. I was there, by the way. The President decided that research into sliding was worthwhile. So he went to Congress to get funding. Mr. Bennish spoke before a Senate committee, as did Mr. Wing. Congress passed the appropriations bill on March 2, 1995, and the President signed it into law. The funding was placed under the Department of Defense, and provided for the construction of a military facility. The Secretary of Defense chose Yerba Buena Island near San Francisco as the site of the sliding research facility. The reason that site was chosen was because Bennish and Wing resided in San Francisco, and there were two major universities in the local area. The government recruited quantum physicists to assist Bennish and Wing, and the U.S. Marine Corps provided security and other contingencies. We had two goals-learning more about the nature of parallel universes and to locate the four missing people."  
  
"How much did this cost?" asks Rembrandt.  
  
"Eleven billion dollars was spent on this project," replies the general.  
  
"Quinn managed to open the wormhole with only a few thousand dollars' worth of equipment," says Wade.  
  
"We've improved on the technology," says Hunt. "Allow us to give you a guided tour."  
  
General Hunt leads everyone to a huge, cavernous room. There are lights overhead and there is all sorts of electrical equipment, including a tightly-wound coil. Marines stand guard with M-16 rifles.   
  
"This is the sliding generator," says General Hunt. "this is where the vortex to other worlds are opened. See that window over there?" The general points to a window. "That is where the control room is. It has the equipment to control the sliding generator."  
  
"What do you do here?" asks Rembrandt.  
  
"We send teams of explorers to scout parallel worlds," says Hunt. "We've scouted over a hundred worlds, and we have outposts on some of them. One of our purposes is to gather new technology our counterparts in other worlds developed."  
  
"I guess you can track wormholes and open a wormhole to a specific world," says Wade.  
  
"That's right," says Hunt. "We did not send anyone through until we developed the technology necessary to open vortices to a specific world. At first we sent probes. When we developed a way to send a wormhole to a specific dimension, we sent our first interdimensional explorer in."  
  
"Who was that?"  
  
"It was me," says Maggie. "I had the privilege of being the first person from this world since the two of you to take the plunge into the vortex and explore these parallel worlds. It wasn't a long trip-it was only fifteen minutes- but I certainly found out that things were different on the other side."  
  
"Let us now go into the control room," says General Hunt. He leads them out into the hallway and into the small adjoining room. Inside the room is a control panel and four Cray XMP supercomputers.   
  
"This is where we open wormholes," says Hunt. "The first thing we do when we send someone on an off-world trip is to select the coordinates. Sometimes we want to go to a specific world, sometimes we choose a random world. We send a proble which comes back to us after one minute. The probe comes back with environmental data. If Colonel Rickman or I approve, then we send an exploration team. The timer is set and given to the team leader and the wormhole is opened. We wait until their appointed time to return. See these computers? They store the coordinates of the worlds we have visited as well as a log of every trip."  
  
"Amazing," says Rembrandt. "Are you doing any more basic research?"  
  
"Yes," says Steven Jensen. "Aside from learning about other worlds, we're still doing research on the structure of the universe. Currently we are developing methods of interdimensional communication, as well as techologies to lock a local area from an incoming wormhole. I mean, imagine if a thief were to open a wormhole into a bank vault. Or if an assassin opens a wormhole into the Oval Office."  
  
"Well, I have this timer here," says Rembrandt, showing everyone the timer they acquired from one of Colonel Rickman's duplicates. "It has the coordinates for the world where we left Quinn behind."  
  
"Perhaps we can download the coordinates into our computers," says Diana Davis. "If Quinn is still on that world, we might be able to find him. Will you give us the timer?"  
  
"You're in a better position to find Quinn than we are," says Rembrandt, handing Davis the timer.   
  
"You know," says Wing, "we should have lunch together."  
  
"I'm fine with that," says Wade.  
  
"I'd like to join you guys for lunch," says Steven Jensen. "Diana, why not join us?"  
  
"I have work to do, Steve," she replies.  
  
"You always have work, Diana. At least relax once in a while."  
  
Wade and Rembrandt have lunch in a cafeteria located on the first floor of the U.S. Marine Corps Research Center. They decide to have roasted chicken and Coca-cola.  
  
"You know, two weeks ago we found this new world," says Jensen.  
  
"What's exciting about it?" asks Rembrandt.  
  
"Well, they have a cure for spinal injuries. You see, I was paralyzed in a skiing accident in Aspen eight years ago. On that world, they have cybernetic implants along the spinal cord. From what I have read, it is a successful treatment. I could walk again."  
  
"I hope it turns out okay," says Wade. "You gonna go there and get the treatment?"  
  
"What we're gonna do is take back all the information we can about that and other things and report it to the Pentagon," says Jensen. "DARPA is working on new technologies we acquired from parallel Earths. Just think, in a few months we'll have treatments for spinal injuries."  
  
"Well, Steve," says Maggie. "Congratulations. I'd like to see you on your feet."  
  
Wade and Rembrandt look at each other. They both remember that one of Maggie's duplicates was married to one of Jensen's duplicates, and that Jensen's duplicate was murdered by one of Colonel Rickman's duplicates. They wonder how their Maggie Beckett would feel if she got here.  
  
They all continue eating their lunch.  
  
"What is it?" asks General Hunt as he neters the control room.  
  
"I've just finished downloading the data from the timer Mr. Brown gave us," says Diana Davis. "It contains a list of all sorts of worlds, most of which we've never been to."  
  
"Presumably, those worlds would be habitable by humans," says Colonel Rickman.  
  
"Yes. But it is best if we check with the probe." Davis then clicks with the mouse on the computer terminal. "This is the timer's log. Whoever built this intended for the timer to store coordinates. Each log contains the dimensional coordinates for the world as well as the spatial coordinates for the wormhole and the duration until the next sliding window.." Diana scrolls the window to the bottom. "These are the coordinates for our world. Above that is the last world, with its dimensional and geographic coordinates as well as the duration. This means that we can open a wormhole not only to the right world, but to the exact spot where Miss Welles ands Mr. Brown left."  
  
"I get it," says a Rembrandt. "If Quinn is still there, he could not have gotten far."  
  
"and we can bring Mr. Mallory home," says General Hunt. He faces Colonel Rickman. "Rickman, you will lead a rescue team to that other world and find Mr. Mallory."  
  
"I don't think it is a good idea," says Wade. "Colonel Rickman looks and sounds exactly like the man who murdered the professor. Quinn might attack him."  
  
"I agree, sir," says Rickman.  
  
"I volunteer to lead the mission, sir," says Maggie.  
  
"Okay," says Hunt. "We'll send the probe through. Captain Beckett, assemble your team and suit up."  
  
Rembrandt and Maggie watch as technicians carry a shiony silvery ball into the embarkation room.  
  
"Coordinates are set," says Steven Jensen. "Opening the wormhole."  
  
the vortex is opened; it looks like the same vortex that the sliders were used to when they used the original timer. One of the white-coated technicians throws the probe inside.  
  
One minute later, the wormhole spits the probe out. Jensen and Davis leave to examine the probe.  
  
Two minutes later, they return to the control room. "Target world status A," says Jensen. "Temperature is seventy-two degrees Fahrenheit, air pressure at 1.2 atmospheres, and radiation levels safe, and atmosphere safe."  
  
"Okay, Beckett," says General Hunt. "It's a go."  
  
"Yes, sir," says Maggie, holding her M-16.  
  
Steven Jensen calibrates a timer. "It is set for four hours," he says. "If Quinn Mallory is still in the area, he probably did not get far."  
  
Maggie and her team of marines leave the control room and enter the embarkation room.   
  
"Opening wormhole to the same coordinates," says Jensen. The wormhole opens, and soon Maggie and the marines go through.  
  
"Come back," whispers Wade. "Come back with Quinn."  
  
Captain Maggie Beckett flies through the tunnel of light. She had done this a couple of times before. She reaches the end of the tunnel and lands on the ground.  
  
She sees the other three marines come out of the vortex. Then the vortex closes.  
  
"We have four hours to find Quinn Mallory," she says, looking at the timer. she checks her surroundings. She is at the edge of a forest. A few feet away is a cliff and below the cliff is the Pacific Ocean. "We are on an island. Intel reports it is not a huge island. We will search the island first."  
  
And so the team of marines moves out, trodding along the forest ground.   
  
"Quinn Mallory!" shouts Maggie. "We are from your home world! Come with us!"  
  
Then there is a noise. "I hear something, ma'am," says a Marine corporal.  
  
"Who is there?" yells Maggie. "We have no hostile intent. Identify yourself!"  
  
"Hello," a female voice says. She then reveals herself.   
  
The marines point their M-16's at her.   
  
"Hold your fire!" shouts Maggie. She looks at the thing that spoke to her. She has the shape of a woman, and yet has bestial features. Could this be another species of people who originated on another version of Earth? "I am Captain Maggie Beckett of the United States Marine Corps! We have no hostile intent."  
  
"My name is Alisandra," says the creature. "Why are you trespassing?"  
  
"We are here to find a man named Quinn Mallory. Is he here?"  
  
"I've seen you before. You were here yesterday."  
  
Now Maggie is confused. "You did? With whom?"  
  
"With another human. A male. Perhaps he is this Quinn Mallory you are looking for."  
  
"The four hours are up," says Diana Davis, looking at the monitor. "They should be coming back any second."  
  
then the wormhole opens inside the embarkation room, and the team of marines returns. Rembrandt and Wade peer through the window.  
  
Quinn Mallory is not there.   
  
Maggie and her team return to the control room. "Mission failed, sir," she says to General Hunt. "Quinn Mallory was not in the vicinity."  
  
"Is he still alive?" asks Wade.  
  
"One of the inhabitants of the island had seen him about two days ago. One of my duplicates was apparently with him. We searched the island. Itr is unlikely Mr. Mallory would hide from us. We can only conclude that he left the island."  
  
"He must be somewhere on that world," says Rembrandt. "The reason he hasn't returned home was because he missed the slide; his timer was set up to track the one we got from Rickman."  
  
"We won't stop searching for him," says Maggie.   
  
"Well, there's no point hanging around here," says Wade. "It's not up to us to look for Quinn. We can't just hang out here until he comes."  
  
Rembrandt takes another bite from the beef stroganoff. "Thank you for the dinner, Mrs. Mallory," says the R & B singer.  
  
"I'm just so glad to have you for company, Mr. Brown," says Elizabeth Mallory. "I've often spent nights alone here for over two years. At least the Welles were nice enough to invite me over for Christmas."  
  
"I am glad I was able to stay with you these past two days. Tomorrow morning, I'm going to start looking for a job. After three months, I'm gonna get my own apartment."  
  
"You seem to be optimistic."  
  
"I kept going on for more than two years. I made it back; I'm home. I'm gonna keep in touch with you, Mrs. Mallory. Will you promise to call me if Quinn comes back after I move out?"  
  
"Of course."  
  
then the telephone rings. The two of them look at each other. Quinn could be calling. Mrs. Mallory picks up the phone.  
  
"Hello," she says, anticipating her son. "Hi, Captain Beckett.....What?.....I can make it......Sure, Mr. Brown is here."  
  
Rembrandt picks up the phone. "Hello," he says.   
  
"This is Captain Maggie Beckett," says Maggie.  
  
Rembrandt immeidately knows this is his world's Maggie, not his Maggie. "Hi," he says. "do you have any word of Quinn?"  
  
"No, I do not. But I am calling to inform you that the President wants to meet you."  
  
"The President? Of the United States?"  
  
"Of course." 


	4. Meeting with President Clinton

May 16, 1997  
  
Wade Welles stands as a chilly breeze cools her cheek. Looking towards the east, the sky is turning pink as the first rays of the sun shine on the San Francisco Bay. She looks at the U.S. Navy transport jet sitting on the taxiway in the Alameda Naval Air Station near Oakland, California.   
  
She walks up the stairs and enters the plane's passenger cabin, towing her luggage with her. She sits down on one of the seats.  
  
"Was it cold out there?" asks Rembrandt Brown, sitting in the seat next to her.  
  
"Not that cold," replies Wade. "It's amazing. We get the meet the President. Our President."  
  
"I hope you two are comfortable," says Captain Maggie Beckett as she enters, dressed in her Marine dress blues. "I've been given the honor of being your chaperone."  
  
"You ever met the President?" asks Wade.  
  
"Twice," replies Maggie. "I will be the one flying us to Andrews Air Force Base; I am qualified to fly this make and model. You two are of the highest priority; the President ordered the Transportation Command to accomodate you. Well, we will be leaving soon. I'd better get in the cockpit."  
  
And so the Marine captain enters the cockpit and sits next to her co-pilot, a Navy lieutenant junior grade.  
  
"Everything is ready to go, ma'am," says the lieutenant.  
  
Maggie dons a headset. "This is Hawkeye Three-Niner to Alameda Tower," she says. "We are ready for takeoff."  
  
"Copy that, Hawkeye," replies the air traffic controller. "All runways are cleared. You may take off."  
  
Wade Welles looks out the window and notices the plane is moving. She hears the rumbling sound of the landing gears as they roll along the runway. Soon the rumbling stops, and Wade can see that the shapes on the ground are getting smaller and smaller.  
  
"All passengers, this is the captain speaking," says Maggie. "We are now airborne. Our ETA to Andrews is five hours."  
  
Five hours later, the U.S. Navy jet is on its final approach to Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland. The landing gears touch the runway and then the plane taxis to a hangar on the base.   
  
Maggie shuts off the engines, and then enters the passenger cabin. "Well, we're here," she says.  
  
"So we've noticed," says Wade.  
  
"There's a helicopter which will lift us to the White House lawn."  
  
"A helicopter," says Rembrandt. "I haven't ridden one of those in a long time."  
  
They all step down a flight of stairs to the ground. The air base is busy, with Jeeps and Humvees moving about.  
  
"This is the base where two presidential transports are kept," says Maggie. "He actually visited Yerba Buena last year. He was visiting the San Francisco area for an election campaign, and he wanted to pay us a visit. I actually got my picture taken with him."  
  
After walking for a few minutes, they all reach a U.S. Marine Corps helicopter. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA is stenciled along the tail.   
  
"I've never been to Washington before," says Wade. "I wonder if I'll get to visit all the monuments."  
  
They all board the helicopter, and then the Marine pilot lifts off. The helicopter leaves Andrews and heads straight for Washington, D.C. Wade looks out the window, noting the landscape below.  
  
Minutes later, she sees a huge river, and there are roads and buildings on both sides of the river.  
  
"That is the Potomac River," says Maggie. "Just right before the river ism our nation's capital. Past that is Arlington, and over there is the Pentagon which is the headquarters for the military."  
  
"The Pentagon?" asks Rembrandt. "you mean that pentagon-shaped building over there?"  
  
"Yes," says Maggie. "Anyway, General Shalikashvili will be joining us at the White House; he's the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff."  
  
Wade and Rembrandt look down upon a green area crisscrossed with roads and white buildings. They can see the Capitol building.  
  
And they can see the White House.   
  
Then the ground appears closer and closer as the helicopter descends. The landing gears touch down on the White House lawn.  
  
Wade and Rembrandt step out and look upon the White House. They had both seen pictures of it-as well as its counterparts in parallel universes. But they are now here.  
  
Several men in suits come out; they must be Secret Service agents.   
  
"Come this way," one of the Secret Service agents say.   
  
They all enter through a door. They are now in a hallway. The interior design is luxurious.   
  
A dark-haired woman approaches them. She wears a black beret and a blue dress. Wade notices she looks young, about as young as she and Quinn are.   
  
"Hello, you must be the President's guests," she says. "My name is Monica Lewinsky; I am in intern here and I was sent here to greet you."  
  
"Hello there," says Rembrandt. "I am Rembrandt Brown."  
  
"Hi, I'm Wade Welles," says Wade. "you must have heard of our travels."  
  
"Uh, yeah," replies Lewinsky. "We are gathering in the Rose Garden. If you will follow me."  
  
Lewinsky leads Wade, Rembrandt, and Maggie through the halls of the White House and they emerge through another door. They enter the Rose Garden, aptly named because of the roses.  
  
"Welcome to the Rose Garden," says Lewinsky. "You will notice all the roses here. Anyway, previous presidents have met with foreign leaders and other guests right in this here garden."  
  
A man appraoches the group. He is dressed in an Army formal dress uniform. Maggie slutes him, and he salutes back.  
  
"Hello," says the man. "I am General Shalikashvili, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. "  
  
"Hello, sir," says Maggie. "I am Captain Maggie Beckett."  
  
"I have read about your project. Are these the two travelers from our world who got lost for two years?"  
  
"Yes, sir."  
  
"I am Rembrandt Brown," says Rembrandt.  
  
"And I am Wade Welles," says Wade.  
  
"A pleasure to meet you both," replies the general, shaking both of their hands. "The President should be here shortly. He is on the phone. I was wondering what you experience was like."  
  
"We've seen a lot of different things," says Rembrandt. "We've seen what could have been."  
  
"Hello," says a dark-haired old woman, extending her hand. "I am honored to meet you two. I am Senator Dianne Feinstein."  
  
"Hello," says Wade.  
  
"I used to be Mayor of San Francisco about seventeen years ago. I oversee the sliding program for the Senate."  
  
"You must understand it well," says Rembrandt.  
  
"Not really," replies the senator. "I heard it has to do with parallel universes that have other versions of Earth and other versions of us."  
  
"We can tell you all about it," says Wade.  
  
Then they notice a whole bunch of people in suits walking towards the Rose Garden. Wade and Rembrandt recognize one silver-haired man.  
  
He is none other than President William Jefferson Clinton.  
  
The White House band starts playing music and photographers start taking pictures.  
  
The President appraoches Rembrandt and Wade. "Hello," he says. "I have heard about your travels."  
  
"It is such an honor to meet you, Mr. President," says Wade.   
  
"I've seen and heard a lot of things," says Rembrandt. "I will never forget this."  
  
President Clinton approaches the podium. "Greetings to you all," he says. "Today we welcome back two Americans who have returned three days ago after a long journey through the universe. They spent two years exploring worlds similar to ours, and yet different. I know it's hard to explain; believe me, I have trouble understanding it myself. I can only imagine what these two have seen. A lot of us wonder what-if; they have lived it. As we honor these two Americans for making history, let us not forget the other two who still have not come back. I ask you to join us in prayer that God will look after them and guide them home."  
  
And then everyone in the Rose Garden claps. Rembrandt and Wade stand with President Clinton and then photographers take their pictures. Then Senator Feinstein has her picture taken with the two White House guests.   
  
Rembrandt and Wade step down from the podium, and then the President and other dignitaries go back inside the White House.  
  
"Isn't he the greatest?" asks Monica Lewinsky.  
  
"I guess so," says Wade. "He is the President."  
  
"He seems all right," says Rembrandt.  
  
Later that evening, an airplane flies high above the heartland of America at an altitude of fifty miles. It is a strange-looking craft, shaped like a manta ray. Manta rays are known for swimming quickly through the oceans; the designers of this plane copied nature to design an aircraft that can cut through the air.  
  
The airplane is loaded with all sorts of surveillance equipment.the equipment on the plane can monitor air temperature, surface temperature, radiation levels, atmospheric pressure and content at various altitudes, and electromagnetic and particle radiation.  
  
The pilot of the plane looks at an light-emmitting diode readout. "We have five minutes left," he says.  
  
"Good," says a crew member. "I can't wait to get home and have dinner."  
  
"Have you recorded everything you can from the electromagnetic broadcasts?" asks the copilot.  
  
"Yes, sir," replies another crew member. "We are recording on over one hundred thirty channels."  
  
"Well, we have four and a half more minutes."  
  
And so the plane continues its course. Finally, the LED readout reads zeroes all the way.  
  
"All right then," says the pilot. "Let us return to Outpost One."  
  
He presses a button. The air in front seems to shimmer, even though the air is very thin at this high altitude.   
  
The whole universe is filled with something called quantum foam. At subatomic levels, spacetime is rippled and foamy, hence the term quantum foam. Quantum foam has wormholes; all too tiny to be used.  
  
But sometimes they can be expanded.  
  
Like now.  
  
A pulse from the airplane opens one of the wormholes. It gets larget until it is over three hundred feet wide. It glows red.  
  
"Let's go back," says the pilot.  
  
The plane enters the mouth of the wormhole and goes to another version of Earth in a parallel universe. 


	5. Moving On With Their Lives

May 22, 1997  
  
Maggie Beckett sits down, wondering how she could have been so stupid, so foolish.  
  
It started three days ago when she and Quinn arrived. they were both continuing their quest to repair the timer so they can track the wormhole that Rembrandt and Wade used to go back home. There was no information in the library about sliding or about Quinn Mallory, so she and Quinn decided to stay here for a while and hope the next world has some answers. They were both eating at a diner when he showed up.  
  
Maggie saw Angus Rickman, the man who murdered her husband.   
  
Immediately she got up from her table and attacked him, wrestling to the floor and shouting, "Murderer!" The other diners intervened.  
  
It turned out that Angus Rickman was not a U.S. Marine colonel from Maggie's world; he was from this world and was the Sheriff of San Luis Obispo County.  
  
Anyway, Maggie was arrested and booked for battery. she had hoped she could plead guilty in exchange for community service, and then Quinn could bust her out and she would never have to come here again.   
  
But it was not as simple, for she too had a duplicate here, just like Rickman did. And her duplicate was wanted for murder.  
  
As it turned out, her duplicate's victim was none other than Steven Jensen.  
  
This is truly an ironic twist of fate, a world where her duplicate was the homicidal sociopath.  
  
I just hope Steven is not the homicidal sociopath in the next world, she remembers thinking.  
  
Now it is the third day, and she is scheduled to slide out. But here she is under heavy guard. How can Quinn bust her out. Maybe Quinn will slide to the next world, and then come back here. Her husband added that ability to the timer.   
  
Then two people approached Maggie's cell. She recognizes one of them as Sheriff Angus Rickman.   
  
"Hello, Mrs. Jensen," says the sheriff. "You;ve a visitor."  
  
"Is it my lawyer?" she asks.  
  
"No, he's a priest."  
  
Sheriff Rickman leads Maggie to a room. It is a small room, with a table and an overhead lamp. Sitting at the table is a bespectacled man in the black outfit of a Roman Catholic priest.  
  
That man is none other than Quinn Mallory.  
  
"We have surveillance video," says Rickman. "There is no audio recording. We can see you, but we will not hear you."  
  
"Thank you, sheriff," says Quinn.   
  
The door is shut.   
  
"Are you of this world?' asks Maggie, still remembering her experience with this world's duplicates of those she knows.  
  
Quinn shows a small, remote-control-sized device with a red LED readout, silently answering her question. Maggie can see there are eleven minutes remaining.  
  
"Sheriff Rickman gave us a whole hour," says Quinn. "We'll be gone before then."  
  
"Where did you get that outfit?"  
  
"Bought it at a costume store a few blocks down. I used up the last of our money. Oh well, our money might not be acceptable in the next world."  
  
The timer runs out, and then Quinn presses a button and opens the vortex. The light from the vortex attracts the attention of Sheriff Rickman and his deputy, and they burst in.  
  
Quinn and Maggie jump into the vortex. The sheriff just watches the strange whirlpool which he had never seen before. It then closes.  
  
"What was that?" asks the deputy.  
  
"I don't know," says Rickman. "I think we should cover this up. Who would believe us anyway?"  
  
At that moment, on another version of Earth in a parallel universe, Wade Welles receives a call.   
  
"Hello," she says.  
  
"Wade, this is Remmy," says Rembrandt. "I just got some news to tell you. I got a job and I'm gonna be moving soon."  
  
"when will you be moving?"  
  
"Saturday."  
  
"Where is the job?"  
  
"It's at the Chandler Hotel in L.A."  
  
"You're moving to L.A.?"  
  
"Yes. After sending my resume everywhere, the ownder of the Chandler offered me a job to do live music performances. And get this; the Chandler is expanding and they're hiring more workers. So I asked Mr. Chandler a favor. I asked him if he would hire one of my friends."  
  
"You mean me, don't you?"  
  
"Well, girtl, I know you haven't found a job yet."  
  
"I've only been here less than two weeks. It's not like a job was waiting for me upon my return."  
  
"Well, you will have to live in L.A."  
  
"I've cousins in the area. Give me Mr. Chandler's number; I'm accepting his job!"  
  
"It's a big move from Frisco to L.A. Do you really want to do that?"  
  
"I'm spent the last two years sliding from Earth to Earth. Moving four hundred miles south isn't that big a deal to me."  
  
That evening, Wade Welles has dinner at the Mallory house.   
  
"It's always a pleasure having dinner with you, Mrs. Mallory," says Wade.  
  
"I'm just so glad you could come," says Elizabeth Mallory. "Have you told your parents yet."  
  
"I already told them after I called the Chandler. I told my cousin about moving to L.A. and she agreed to let me stay with her until I find my own apartment. Of course, I'd have to pay my share of the gas and electric bill."  
  
"Excuse me, ladies," says Rembrandt. "I've got to go use the bathroom." He gets up and leaves.  
  
"Excuse me, Wade," says Elizabeth. "Could you meet me in the basement?"  
  
The two of them go down into the basement, which was empty save for the blackboard which has the sliding equation written on it, as well as the happy face written by Quinn's duplicate over two years ago. Wade remembers that the U.S. government purchased the equipment and the money was deposited in Quinn's bank account.   
  
"You must still miss Quinn," says Wade.  
  
"I have this hope that he will come back," replies Mrs. Mallory. "You came back."  
  
"The professor's not coming back."  
  
"He must have been close to Quinn."  
  
"Quinn admired him as a mentor. We trusted him."  
  
"And were you close to Quinn?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"There were two things I wanted to tell Quinn after he comes back. I want to tell you one of them. Quinn had a brother."  
  
"A brother?" Wade asks. "He never told me he had one."  
  
"I never told him," says Elizabeth. "It was two years before he was born. When I went into labor, it was very difficult and agonizing. I lost consciousness. When I came to, Michael was with me. He told me our son...our son died."  
  
Wade's face turns even paler. "I'm sorry," she mutters.   
  
"The baby was asphyxiated. The doctors tried to save him, but they couldn't. We had to bury him three days after he was born."  
  
"Did he have a name?"  
  
"Colin. His name was Colin."  
  
"I can't understand how you felt, but you must have been consoled somewhat when Quinn was born."  
  
"Quinn was nothing short of a miracle, especially since the doctors told me I'd never have another baby. He helped me and Michael deal with the grief of losing Colin, and he later helped me deal with my grief when Michael was killed in that car accident."  
  
"What was that miracle, if I may ask? I mean, was it a fertility treatment or something?"  
  
"It's gonna be hard to believe, even for you. and I want to be the one to tell him, to tell him about Colin and about how he came to us."  
  
"I understand."  
  
Mrs. Mallory paces around the basement. "Still, I want to be prepared in case I'm not here to welcome him home."  
  
"Don't say that," says Wade.  
  
"I never expected to lose my husband," says Elizabeth. "After Quinn disappeared, I learned to be prepared. I have a safe-deposit box containing Colin's birth certificate as well as a letter explaining everything to Quinn. I left instructions in my will. Wade, as Quinn's closest friend, I want to include you in the will."  
  
"What?" asks Wade, surprised by the announcement.  
  
"If I die before Quinn's return, I'm going to willyou the contents of the safe deposit box. My attorney Ross J. Kelly will contact you and give you the details of where the safe deposit box is and what is to be done with my body. Once that happens, you will know the truth about Colin and about Quinn and I want you to make sure he learns about his past."  
  
"I'm sure you will be here to greet your son when he returns," says Wade. "But I promise I'll do that if you are unable to."  
  
"Well, I'd better call my attorney and tell him about my change of plans," says Elizabeth. They both walk up the sdtairs to the first floor.  
  
"What were you two doing down there?" asks Rembrandt.  
  
"Girl talk," says Wade.   
  
May 26, 1997  
  
Wade Welles and Rembrandt Brown walk along the sidewalk on Wilshire Boulevard in Los Angeles, California. They approach the building labeled the Chandler Hotel.  
  
They are both familar with the hotel, having stayed in a few of its counterparts in parallel universes. They enter the lobby, which has couches and a rack full of brochures as well as the registration desk. Side hallways led to a bar and restaurants and ballrooms.  
  
Mounted on the wall is a poster about the Chandler Hotel.  
  
Welcome to the Chandler Hotel, one of the newest hotels in downtown Los Angeles. The Chandler came to be when Los Angeles businessman Archibald Chandler purchased the bankrupt Royal Chancellor Hotel which was closed in January of 1995. The hotel was quickly renovated and was open to the public on June 12, 1995.  
  
The Chandler sports over one thousand rooms, including twelve suites. There is an indoor swimming pool, indoor tennis courts, and a fitness center for our guests. Guests may dine in three of our fabulous restaurants or have a drink in the Chandler Lounge and Sports Bar.  
  
The Chandler's location in downtown Los Angeles near the freeways makes it a perfect place to stay while visiting the sights of the city. There is a free shuttle service to the Metrolink trains, the Metro Blue Line, Amtrak, and the L.A. Airport.   
  
We hope you enjoy your stay at the Chandler, and we hope you come again.  
  
"Well, let's go meet our new boss," says Rembrandt. They both go through a door marked "EMPLOYEES ONLY" and enter a hallway. Soon they enter the president's office. They both sit down on chairs facing a wooden desk. The walls of the office are paneled in cherry wood.  
  
"Hello," says an old man in a suit, sitting behind the desk. "I am Archibald Chandler. You must be Rembrandt Brown."  
  
"Yes, sir, I am," replies the musician.  
  
"I used to be a fan of your music, the Spinning Tops right?"  
  
"Yeah, that was back in the day."  
  
"You will be an excellent addition to our live music performances. I want this hotel to be a place where people can have an active nightlife before retiring to their rooms, preferably in the hotel, of course. And you will not be disappointed with the salary; it will be enough to rent an apartment in this city, with enough left over for luxuries. and who is this young lady?"  
  
"I'm Wade Welles," says Wade. "Rembrandt's a friend of mine and he told me that you were handing out jobs."  
  
"Well, Miss Welles," says Chandler. "I see you have one reference. We are hiring for several positions, from maids to bartenders to cocktail waitresses."  
  
"Those are the kinds of jobs I had fvor the past two-and-a-half years," says Wade. "I would like to be a cocktail waitress."  
  
"Then you are hired. As are you, Mr. Brown."  
  
"We accept," says Rembrandt.  
  
Archibald Chandler picks up a telephone on his desk. "This is Chandler, I need some W-4's."  
  
Soon, a secretary enters the office with some forms. Chandler takes the forms from the secretary and then hands them to his new employees. "I will need you to fill out these W-4's," he says.  
  
Wade and Rembrandt look at the W-4 form, which is used by employers to make appropriate pay withholdings and send them to the Internal Revenue Service and the Franchise Tax Board. They both filled out the W-4's,. knwoing they are starting a new phase in their lives.  
  
June 14, 1997  
  
Captain Maggie Beckett enters the Chandler Lounge and Sports Bar, wearing a white blouse and blue jeans. She looks at a clock mounted on the wall, noticing it is 5:00 PM. She looks at the lounge, which has a stage for music performers and a bar where beer and other alcoholic beverages are served. She sits down at one of the tables.  
  
"Hello, Maggie," says Wade, now dressed as a cocktail server. Her uniform consists of a black shirt with the Chandler hotel logo on the back. "Are you of this world?"  
  
"Yes, I am. Could you get me a screwdriver?"  
  
"Sure," says Wade. She goes to the bar and asks the bartender for a screwdriver. Minutes later, the mixture of vodka and orange juice is served to her. She brings it back to the Marine captain.  
  
"Are you busy?" asks Maggie even as she gives Wade her Visa credit card.   
  
"No, it's not busy now."  
  
"Well, how is your new life?"  
  
"Well, three days a week I come here and serve drinks. I get a lot of tips. I've made some new friends."  
  
"Any boyfriend?"  
  
"No, that hasn't happened yet. You know, yesterday Remmy and I went back to San Francisco. We celebrated the one-month anniversary of our homecoming with my family and Mrs. Mallory."  
  
"We're still searching for Quinn."  
  
"I'm sure Quinn is doing everything in his power to come back," says Wade. "Maybe Quinn will be here for the two-month anniversary. Remmy will be performing at 9:00. I'd better go see what the other customeras want."  
  
"Okay," says Maggie. she looks at the color televisions mounted on the wall and sees various sports being shown.  
  
She hangs around and has a few drinks. Then, at 9:00, Rembrandt Brown appears on stage, dressed in a black suit.  
  
"Hello," he says, sitting down in front of the piano. "My name is Rembrandt Brown. I was once a singer for the Spinning Topps bac k in the late '70's. Now I am honored that you are all here. Let's get started with a classic, Tears in my 'Fro."  
  
He then starts playing the piano and sings his classic song. After he is finished singing, everyone in the bar applauds.  
  
"Okay, okay," says the musician. "Let's have another one."  
  
At 11:00, Wade finally gets off. Instead of heading home, she decides to sit with Rembrandt and Maggie.  
  
"So what brings you all the way here to L.A.?" asks Rembrandt.  
  
"I had the weekend off, and I decided to visit you two," says Maggie. "I wanted to see how you're doing and all."  
  
"Well, I'm happy with my job," says Rembrandt. "Singing and playing the piano, and hearing my fans cheer. Maybe I'll get to move on to bigger things. I like performing."  
  
"Tell us about your life," Wade says to Maggie.  
  
"I was born in San Diego," says Maggie. "My dad was an Marine infantry officer, so we moved around a lot. I've seen a lot of places. I wanted to be a fighter pilot. I took flight training after Officer's Candidate School. Then in 1991, my wing was sent to Saudi Arabia and I flew against the Iraqis during the Gulf War. I was later assigned to intelligence. I wasn't thrilled with the assignment, since I preferred flying F-14 Tomcats. Then I was sent to Yerba Buena, where I got to participate in an important project."  
  
"You know, you're a lot nicer than the other Maggie," says Wade.  
  
"Who?"  
  
"One of your duplicates slid with us for three months."  
  
"How was she like?"  
  
"She was bitter, with a chip on her shoulder. I guess it's because Rickman murdered her husband. While we were chasing Rickman for the timer needed to get home, she wanted to kill him."  
  
"Who was her husband?"  
  
"It was Steven Jensen."  
  
Maggie is surprised at the answer. "She was married to Steven Jensen's duplicate?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"Well, a romantic relationship witgh one of the techs never occurred to me."  
  
"Maybe you should go after him," says Rembrandt. "If it worked for her, it will work for you."  
  
"Maybe."  
  
"I just hope the other Maggie finds peace," says Wade. "and I hope Quinn comes him."  
  
"The we should have a toast," says Maggie. "To Quinn Mallory."  
  
And so they have a toast.  
  
In another version of the Chandler Hotel Lounge and Sports Bar in a parallel universe, anohter version of Maggie Beckett sits at the bar watching television. She decided to come down here and have a drink.   
  
She watches the television. The crowd that was here earlier dispersed, after a game from the NBA Finals was over. The ESPN reporters are now summarizing the sports.  
  
"..and that was it for the NBA Finals Game Three," says the ESPN reporter. "Now in golf, Tiger Woods won it again in the Pebble Beach Tournament." Maggie sees an image of a young dark-skinned man. "Tiger Woods beat out Matthew Perry and Colin Mallory. Here are the final scores."  
  
Maggie's ears perks up the moment she heard the name "Mallory". She then sees the images of the golfers who played in the Pebble Beach Tournament. One of them looks a lot like Quinn!  
  
Then Quinn comes down to the bar. "Hey, Maggie," he says.  
  
"Quinn," says Maggie. "I just saw you on TV."  
  
"Really?" asks Quinn.  
  
"Well, it was someone who looked like you. And his name was Mallory. He played on some golf tournament."  
  
"Was it my double?"  
  
"No, his name wasn't Quinn."  
  
"It might be a brother or a cousin." He pulls out the timer. "Well, we'll be here for two more days. Maybe the next world will have the technology needed to repair the photon tracker."  
  
"Do you know exactly what's wrong with it? What if it can no longer detect where Wade and Remmy are?"  
  
"I think the traccer itself is working, it's just that the guidance system can not plot an interdimensional course."  
  
"You lost me."  
  
"Well, I think I'm gonna have a drink now."  
  
And he does.  
  
July 9, 1997  
  
The Kromagg Dynasty High Council meets in the chambers. They have been debating over the past few days.  
  
"Our resources are spread too thin already," says one of the councilors. We would have to withdraw troops from our off-world garrisons to get enough people for the invasion. What we need to do is to continue our projects into bypassing the slidecage that blocks our return to our world."  
  
Another councilor is recognized. "This world in question possesses quantum probability translocation technology. We have all read copies of our spies' reports. A world of humans possessing such technology must be razed! And do not forget that we tracked a companion of the son of Mallory to that world. We believe that the son of Mallory will make it there, and we intend to capture him."  
  
The matter is put to the vote.  
  
"Very well," says the chairman of the council. "The votes are tallied." Symbols appear on a holographic screen. "We invade."  
  
A kromagg general approaches the chairman and his aides. "It will take two days to make preparations for the initial assault," he says. 


	6. A Day That Will Live in Infamy

July 11, 1997  
  
The quantum foam above the Atlantic Ocean ripples, and a huge, red wormhole appears. It is a mighty vortex a mile wide. Soon, hundreds of ships emerge, starting with a huge aircraft carrier. The other ships consist of cruisers and destroyers and supply ships and amphibious ships. All of these are war ships, ready for war.  
  
The commander of the joint attack force stnads with his staff in a command center on board the interdimensional aircraft carrier. He looks at a viewscreen which shows the whole Earth.   
  
"Location confirmed," says a sailor. "We are now on the target Earth."  
  
"Excellent," says the commander, an admiral in the Kromagg Dynasty Navy.  
  
"Our attack forces report they will be ready in seven minutes," says an officer.  
  
"Very good, Commander," replies the admiral. "Report to me when they are all ready for attack."  
  
"Yes, sir."  
  
The admiral looks at the screen again. It shows the location of the various fleets sent to this Earth by the Dynasty, as well as the location of the preliminary targets.   
  
After the Council had approved of the invasion of this Earth, the admiral met with the high command. Information about this Earth gleaned by the spies the Dynasty sent for the past two months was used to formulate an attack plan. The attack plan was simple-destory the major population centers and the capitals of the most powerful nations, and then send in the troops. The first attack will be an all-out assault.   
  
All over the Earth, the Kromagg Dynasty warships prepare for the impending attack on the human population. Crews make final checkups to ensure that the lasers and rail guns and missiles and their support systems all work. Officers and senior enlistees yell orders to their men. Airmen work aroud the clock to ensure that the manta fighters and manta bombers are armed and ready to go.  
  
Back at the Kromagg Dynasty flagship, the admiral waits patiently.  
  
"I remember the tension when we were preparing for the Battle of Alberton," he says to one of his aides. "I was flying a manta fighter in support of the invasion."  
  
"Wasn't that the battle where they used that dreaded device?" asks the aide.  
  
"Yes, it was."  
  
"Sir, all ships are ready to attack," says an officer.  
  
The admiral goes to a console and presses a button. "This is Pack Leader," he says. "Begin the initial bombardment."  
  
"Send the attack code to all ships!" barks an officer.   
  
The admiral looks at a digital clock.  
  
The time is 2204 Atlantic Standard Time.  
  
The attack code is received by a destroyer not far from the flagship.  
  
"It's a go," says the commander of the missile crew. "Let us begin."  
  
"We have satellite linkup," says a petty officer. The missile lauch control room's navigation system is now linked to satellites launched into low Earth orbit a day before.   
  
"Select our appointed targets," says the commander.  
  
"Aye, sir. Targets selected."  
  
"Enter the arming codes for the warheads."  
  
"Arming codes entered."  
  
The missile crew commander looks at his crew. He has trained for this. Some of the crew members are young, having never seen combat before. this is a very important mission, for the ballistic missiles are equipped with hydrogen bombs known as city-busters because they could reduce a whole city to rubble. The commander knows that city busters are expensive, so they are reserved for heavily-populated cities or capitals of powerful nations.   
  
"Commence primary ignition," says the commander. The crew presses buttons and flips swiutches to begin the primary ignition.   
  
"Missiles are ready to fire," says a lieutenant.  
  
"This is my job now," says the commander. On the main console is a row of buttons covered with lids. Each button is designed to fire a missile. The ship is loaded with two ballistic missiles.  
  
He opns up both lids. and then he presses both buttons simultaneously with the index finger of each hand.   
  
The button press is the final signal for the uanch system to launch the missiles. The missile's fuel chamber blasts hot gas, propelling it from the launcher and up into the atmosphere. The guidance computers located in the nose cones makes toiny corrections to keep each missile on course for its intended target. Telemetry from each missile is sent to the missile crew that launched it.  
  
Both of the missiles head northwest towards two locations near the Atlantic coast of North America. One of the missiles heads for Washington, D.C., the other heads for New York City.   
  
The Washington, D.C. missile begins its descent as it approaches its target. the landscape of Virginia passes swiftly below it. Seconds later, its navigation system determines that it is above its target point-The White House.  
  
This sends a signal to the detonator. The detonator detonates plastic explosives. The explosion from the plastic explosives cruhses a sphere of plutonium. the atoms of the plutonium undergo fission, releasing a huge amount of energy.  
  
this energy then causes the atomic nuclei in lithium hydride to fuse together into helium, thus releasing even more energy.   
  
The energy release both from the fission of plutonium and the fusion of lithium and hydrogen into helium is more than enough to vaporize the missile.The radiant energy from the nuclear reactions heats everything nearby to ten million degrees Fahrenheit, enough to vaporize everything. the walls of the White House begin to melt and evaporate. The trees and grass catch fire. People standing near the place begin to burn.   
  
But before everything is vaporized, the siudden increase of temperature raises the air pressure. This creates a pressure wave which expands from the focus of the explosion.  
  
The pressure wave first reaches the White House, already evaporating from the extreme heat. The structure buckles from the increased pressure and collapses. The pressure wave continues, knocking down trees and power lines and street lamps. Trash cans and cars and anything not bolted to the ground is thrown. Anyrthing fragile is shattered. Buildings and bridges and overpasses crumble. Landmarks such as the Capitol Building and the Supreme Court Building and the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial and the Vietnam War Memorial are reduced to pieces of rubble. the pressure wave travels across the Potomac, destroying the bridges. The Pentagon, the headquarters of the United States Department of Defense, collpases into a pentagon-shaped expanse of rubble. The pressure wave loses energy as it travels farther from ground zero. Soon it only cracks buildings and shatters windows and knocks loose things about.   
  
The New York City-bound missile also finds its mark, at a spot right above the World Trade Center. Its warhead explodes, first destroying the two towers of the World Trade Center and then knocking down the other buildings in Manhattan and beyond.   
  
The end result is that two cities-Washington, D.C. and New York City, are reduced to rubble.   
  
The same thing happens to Mexico City, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Moscow, London, and Beijing. In a flash of light and a wave of overpressure, these cities are reduced to piles of charred rubble. Thewir residents did not even have time to scream.   
  
It is a day that will forever live in infamy.  
  
The news of the massive nuclear explosions travels fast. The sports programs regularly shown by the televisions on the Chandler Hotel Lounge and Sports Bar in Los Angeles, California are interrupted by a special report.  
  
"We have just received word that our nation has been attacked," says a reporter, clearly stunned by the revelation. "Military officers have told us that Washington, D.C. and New York were hit. Casualties are unknown. We have lost contact with our correspondent to the White House. We have not yet heard from the President or the Joint Chiefs. I repeat, Washington and New York have been bombed. This will be a day that will live in infamy."  
  
"My God," whispers Wade Welles. She drops an entire tray of drinks that some patrons had ordered minutes ago.   
  
None of her patrons notice that their drinks were spilled on the floor, their attention being on the news.  
  
"We have confirmed that Washington and New York were bombed," says General Eric Shinseki, an officer in the United States Army. "We are still trying to get an assessment on the damage caused by the attacks. We ask that Americans remain calm, and wait for further news."  
  
"General, has there been any word from the President?" asks a reporter.  
  
"No, I have not received word. I am trying to get into contact with my commanders."  
  
Captain Maggie Beckett puts away her drink. "I'm closin' my tab," she says to the bartender, a young lady named Natalie Nassau.  
  
Natalie processes her Visa credit card. Maggie quickly signs the receipt and hands it to her.  
  
"I hope you're not driving," says the bartender. "You've had too much to drink."  
  
"Haven't you heard," Maggie slurs. "This is a national emergency!"  
  
Maggie heads out to the parking lot where her black Toyota Tercel is parked. She finds herself walking crookedly and can feel a buzz in her head. She hopes she does not get pulled over for drunk driving at a time like this.  
  
She gets into her car and starts it and puts on on reverse. She backs out, and then her car strikes a Ford Taurus.  
  
"I hope you have insurance," says Maggie. She puts the car on drive and then heads to Yerba Buena Island.  
  
"All targets have been destroyed, sir," says a Kromagg Dynasty Navy commander.  
  
"Excellent," replies the admiral. "Now we begin the second attack wave."  
  
Two Kromagg Dynasty Marine pilots enter the huge manta bomber. They board their craft and they wear their helmets and connect the helmet to the instrument panel.   
  
The two of them check their instrument panels even as the ground crews make a last-minute checkup of the planes. The helmets are designed as a mental interface between the kromagg pilot and the plane. In the heat of combat, the pilots can manuever the plane just by thinking. This technology was devloped about ten years ago, after the exile.  
  
The two Marine pilots receive the signal to take off, and their plane reac hes the carrier's catapult. the catapult launches the manta bomber at a very high speed and they are airborne. They are followed by an escort of Marine manta fighters.  
  
Hundreds of miles away, Edwards Air Force Base receives an image on their radar screen.  
  
"It looks like over one hundred planes are heading this way, sir," says a U.S. Air Force sergeant. ""They are flying above the Pacific, and they will reach the coastline in fifteen minutes."  
  
"Could it be the enemy that attacked Washington and New York?" asks an Air Force colonel.  
  
"Possibly, sir. I suggest we scramble the fighters to intercept."  
  
And so the Air Force fighter wing stationed at Edwards Air Force Base are scrambled. The U.S. Air Force pilots get into the cockpits of their F-15 Eagles and then take off from Edwards. Soon they are over the San Gabriel Mountains, heading fpor the unidentified aircraft flying towards the coastline from the Pacific Ocean.   
  
"ETA in three minutes," says the Air Force major who is commanding this wing. "Master arm on."  
  
"Hail them," says the colonel.  
  
"Unidentified aircraft," says the major. "This is the United States Air Force. Identify yourself now."  
  
There is no response.  
  
"Unidentified aircraft, this is the United States Air Force. You have not been authorize to enter U.S. airspace. Identify yourself."  
  
Then the major watches in horror as he sees contrails. He recognizes them a missiles.  
  
"Evasive maneuvers!" he yells. He banks his plane and releases chaff to fool the missiles. Looking to his right, he sees an F-16 explode, raining flaming debris into the waters of the Pacific. "Engage!"  
  
He maneuvers to engage the enemy. He notices that the enemy planes are shaped quite differently from his own plane.   
  
"I got you now," he says. He fires a missile. It hits the strange enemy plane, blowing it up. "I got one."  
  
"you got one on your six!" shouts an Air Force pilot. The major checks his radar screen. His plane is being locked on.  
  
"Aaargh!" he shouts as an enemy air-to-air missile strikes his plane and destroys it.  
  
Rembrandt Brown rushes into the Chandler Hotel, not bothering to put money in the parking meter. He figures the Los Angeles Police Department will be too busy to cite people for meter violations.  
  
"Wade!" he shouts, spotting the waitress in the bar. "Are you all right?"  
  
"Yeah, we're watching it on the news," she replies.  
  
"This is an announcement," says a KTLA news reporter. "The Air Force had declared an air raid. Everyone is to take shelter now!"  
  
The last of the fighters from Edwards is blown up by the Kromagg Dynasty manta fighters. Now three of them fly escort for the manta bombers. One is heading for Los Angeles, the other is heading for Edwards.  
  
The Los Angeles-bound bomber flies to its target. The bomber pilot locks the target into the bombers targeting systemm and then fires the bomb. The bomb descends to the ground, and it strikes its target-the intersection of the 101 and 110 freeways in downtown Los Angeles.  
  
The explosion causes the overpass to collapse. The ramps connecting the freewayt also collpase in a cascade. Drivers on the freeways who see the explosion slam their brakes, but it is too late for some of them. The drivers on the 110 freeway crash into the debris; drivers on the 101 freeway and the ramps go over the edge and crash on the 110 freeway.   
  
The manta bomber then continues to bomb the skyscrapers and freeways in downtown Los Angeles. Within minutes, the freeway interchanges are reduced to piles of rubble, and the streets of downtown Los Angeles are littered with rubble from pieces of skyscrapers that were hit with the bombs.  
  
The manta bomber headed for Edwards arrives at its destination. The air traffic control tower is the first to be destroyed. Then the bomber releases its payload, destroying hangars and barracks and airplanes and trucks.  
  
Captain Maggie Beckett arrives at Yerba Buena. The guard lets her in, and she parks at the U.S. Marine Corps Research Facility.   
  
Before enetering the facility, she look out towards the city of San Francisco. She sees flashes of light there. Then she looks above and sees fast-moving aircraft.  
  
"They're bombing us," she says. She then enters the building and takes the stairs to Sub-Level One.   
  
This scene is repeated in cities and military bases all over the world, as wave after wave of manta bombers bomb their targets. The nations of the world put up some resistance with their fighters, and the kromaggs' manta fighters shoot down the opposition.   
  
July 11, 1997 is a day that will live in infamy for everyone in this version of Earth. 


	7. Invasion

July 12, 1997  
  
The congregation gathers at the Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka, Kansas. The congregants watch and wait until the church's pastor, the Reverend Fred Phelps, arrives to address them.  
  
"Welcome, my friends," says Reverend Phelps. "Yesterday we have witnesses the holy judgement of the Lord God Almighty upon this wicked nation. The Rod of God has smitten fag America. For years, Americans have elevated sodomy as a virtue. They aborted millions of innocent babies. Americans greedily lied, cheated, stolen, and killed. Now the wrath of God is upon them. Millions of people were cast into Hell as God laughed and mocked at them as He torments them forever and ever! Remember this-God hates America!"  
  
Secretary of the Treasury Rob Rubin finishes his breakfast. He is now at an underground Army base, somewhere in the country. After hearing about the attacks on Washington and New York, Army soldiers picked hime up and sequestered him here. He was briefed upon developments concerning the attack.  
  
"We are ready, sir," says an Army general.   
  
"Is this necessary?" asks the secretary.  
  
"Yes, sir"  
  
Rubin looks down. He had been briefed about this, after being sworn in as Secretary of the Treasury. Now he has been called.  
  
He approahces a small room. The room is guarded by Army military police, and there are television cameras pointed at him. A man in black robes awaits him. Rubin recognizes him as a judge from a U.S. District Court.  
  
the judge presents a Holy Bible. "Place your right hand on Bible," he says.  
  
Secretary Rubin places his rioght hand on the Bible.  
  
"Let us take the oath," says the judge. "Repeat after me. I, Robert Rubin."  
  
"I, Robert Rubin."  
  
"...do solemnly swear...."  
  
"...do solemnly swear..."  
  
"...that I will preserve, protect, and defend....."  
  
"...that I will preserve, protect, and defend....."  
  
"....the Constitition of the United States of America...."  
  
"....the Constitition of the United States of America...."  
  
"....from all enemies, foreign and domestic..."  
  
"....from all enemies, foreign and domestic..."  
  
"...and to faithfully execute the duties of my office..."  
  
"...and to faithfully execute the duties of my office..."  
  
"...so help me God..."  
  
"...so help me God..."  
  
"I present unto you, Robert Rubin, the President of the United States of America."  
  
Wade Welles and Rembrandt Brown watch the evenbt unfold in the Chandler Lounge and Sports Bar.   
  
"My fellow Americans," says President Rubin. "Under the laws of succession passed by Congress, I have taken the oath to act as President of the United States of America. It is my sad duty to inform you that neither the President nor the Vice President nor the leaders of Congress have survived last night's bombing raids. We have confirmed that Washington, D.C. and New York City were completely destroyed, and that nuclear devices were used to bomb those cities. The death toll is estimated in the millions. it is by the grace of God that I survived and I have now assumed this duty in this time of crisis. My first act is to completely assess the damage and find out who attacked us. Make no mistake, we will find the enemy and we will destroy the enemy."  
  
"My God," says Rembrandt. "I can't believe this is happening." He looks at the July 12, 1997 copy of the Los Angeles Times, the headline reading "WAR! NUCLEAR BOMBS DROPPED ON U.S. SOIL! MILLIONS DEAD IN N.Y. AND D.C."  
  
"I wonder what Quinn will think if he finally gets home and sees everything destroyed," says Wade.   
  
"Maybe we should call his mother."  
  
Wade remembers that Quinn's mother willed her a safety deposit box containing a message for Quinn. she wonders if she will have to break the news to Quinn about his mother's death. She goes into the hotel office and picks up a phone and dials Mrs. Mallory's number.  
  
"We can not connect your call," says an automated voice.  
  
Wade frowns. Apparently, the enemy had disrupted long distance telephone service.   
  
"So we have a new commander-in-chief," says Major General Alexander Hunt, watching a Sony color television from the conference room in Sub-Level One of the U.S. Marine Corps Research Center in Yerba Buena Island.  
  
"What do we do now?" asks Colonel Angus Rickman.  
  
"We stay here," says the general. "The Internet is still up; I will send messages up the chain of command and we will await further orders."  
  
Captain Maggie Beckett looks around at the marines and the sliding technicians. The events of the past twelve hours have been a shock.  
  
"Maybe we should evacuate," says Steven Jensen, pacing around the room. He had received his spinal implants just a week ago on another world, and relearned how to walk. Now the country was under attack by a mysterious foe.  
  
"We can't leave now, Steven," says Maggie. "We have been assigned here, and we will not evacaute this post."  
  
"Not all of us here are marines," says Diana Davis. "If the enemy comes close, you can stay here and die. I'm gonna slide."  
  
President Rob Rubin goes to the conference room in the secret underground Army base that now serves as the headquarters of the United States government. For the past few hours, the officers in the base have been trying to contact surviving military units. There has been no contact with General Shalikashvili or anyone in the Joint Chiefs. A United States Marine general had survived the events of July 11, and as such the President had made him acting Chairman of the Joint Chiefs until General Shalikashvili can be found.  
  
Rubin sits down, surrounding by officers and soldiers.   
  
"Give me a status report," he says.  
  
"Mr. President," says the acting Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, "whoever the enemy was, they knew where to hit us. they bombed the headquarters of our combatant commands. Pearl Harbor, Norfolk Naval Station, Ramstein Air Base, all bombed to hell. We lost half of our air forces. They also managed to disable most of our satellites."  
  
"So who is it?" asks Rubin. "Is it Iraq? Syria? Russia?"  
  
"We don't know, sir."  
  
"Well, how will we launch a counterattack if we don't know whom to attack?"  
  
"We do know that the enemy launched their missiles and bombers from ships in the Pacific and Atlantic. A recon plane spotted the ships, which immediately opened fire. There is something you should know, sir."  
  
"What?"  
  
"These warships have advanced technology. Apparently the ships use high-powered lasers. And we have visual records of the enemy airplanes. It was taken by an AWACS flying over the Atlantic before it was shot down."  
  
An Army sergeant presses a button on a remote control device. The screen reveals the enemy planes.  
  
"Odd-looking shape," says Rubin.   
  
"They look like manta rays," says the Marine general. "This design is unknown in any country, and we are certain neither Russia nor China manufactured planes like these in massive quantities. And our pilots claimed that these manta planes were shooting lasers."  
  
"Well, what do we do now?"  
  
"We know where their forces are. I believe wer can launch a nuclear strike agains the enemy fleets. We still have nuclear subs in the Pacific and the Atlantic. They are operational and they are awaiting orders from us to fire at the enemy."  
  
President Rubin takes a deep breath. "Make the preparation for the attacks," he says.   
  
"Yes, sir."  
  
Deep below the surface of the Pacific Ocean, a U.S. Navy submarine commander receives the orders.  
  
"Okay, people," he barks. "We have been ordered to launch a counterattack against the enemy. The enemy fleet has been sighted, and we have their coordinates. We are to launch a cruise missile with a one hundred kiloton warhead at the fleet's last known position. Given the estimates of their maximum speed, we should be able to sevrely damage the ships, if not destroy the utterly. Prepare for the launch."  
  
And so the submarine crew does so. They arm the missile with the nuclear launch code and select the target, a point in the Pacific Ocean where the enemy fleet is believed to be located.   
  
The submarine commander goes to the missile control console. He flips open the lid and presses the button to fire.  
  
The cruise missile is launched from the Navy submarine and flies into the sky. It cruises a few feet above the surface of the Pacific Ocean. Soon, it finds its mark and detonates.   
  
The nuclear explosion generates heat and a shock wave. The shock wave reaches a group of kromagg ships. The shock wave capsizes the vessels, including an interdimensional aircraft carrier.   
  
The news comes back to the submarine crew.  
  
"Missile has met its target!" shouts a Navy ensign. Everyone in the submarine bridge cheers. the news is relayed up the chain of command.  
  
But their cheers will soon turn to horror. Eighteen minutes later, a sonarman detects something splashing into the water.  
  
"It's a depth charge!" yells the commander. "Dive!"  
  
and so the helmsman puts the submarine into a dive. But it is too late. They are rocked by an explosion, and suddenly cold, salty water sprays ijnto the bridge. The submarine continues to sink, and all hands drown.  
  
Meanwhile, at the Kromagg Dynasty flagship, a Navy commander reports to the admiral.  
  
"Sir, the enemy has launched counterattacks," says the commander. "Four of our carriers were destroyed."  
  
"How?" asks the admiral.  
  
"We believe enemy submarines launched missile attacks against our fleet. Fortunately, the survivors sent antisubmarine bombers to drop depth bombs at the locations where the missiles were believed to be launched. We are now dropping deep-sea recon probes to determine if the enemy subs were sunk."  
  
"The humans of this world seem to be putting up quite a resistance," says the admiral. "I'm going to request more ships from the High Command. We must achieve air and sea superiority before we can send in the marines."  
  
"I agree, sir."  
  
July 13, 1997  
  
"Today is the two-month anniversary of our homecoming," says Wade.  
  
"I don't feel like celebrating that much," replies Rembrandt. "If we only knew who was attacking us."  
  
"Why does it have to be our world?" asks Wade. "Why?"  
  
the two of them watch the news report on television. They see an image of a Boeing airplane factory.  
  
"I am here now at the Boeing Aircraft plant in Long Beach," says a Fox news reporter. "Ever since the war started, the workers have been building warplanes."  
  
"We're on a tight schedule," says a factory foreman. "The Air Force and the Navy and the Marines have ordered all sorts of military aircraft. We've had to convert the assembly lines for military production."  
  
"Do you expect to..."  
  
Then the reporter is suddenly interrupted by an explosion. Then there is snow. Soon there is an image of the Fox logo, with a message about technical difficulties.  
  
Wade and Rembrandt hear another air raid siren.  
  
"We'd better get down to the basement, Remmy," she says.   
  
July 22, 1997  
  
Quinn Mallory and Maggie Beckett are absolutely unaware of the events transpiring in his home world. Their main focus is finding a way home.   
  
"That is the place," says Quinn, looking at a condominium in Newark, California. "That is where this world's Quinn Mallory lives."  
  
"What are we waiting for," says Maggie. "He will wonder why you look exactly like him."  
  
Quinn rings the doorbell. He and Maggie wait for a few tense seconds. Maybe this world's Quinn is not home. there is, after all, a thing called a day job, and it is only 3:00.  
  
The door is answered. Quinn and Maggie look at a young man with short cropped hair that is darker than Quinn's brown hair.   
  
"May I help you?" he asks.  
  
"I'm looking for Quinn Mallory," says Quinn. "Does he live here?"  
  
"I'm Quinn Mallory."  
  
The two of them look stunned. This man has no resemblace to any duplicate of Quinn they have seen or encountered.   
  
"It's obvious he simply has the same name as you do," says Maggie. "We should go look for another Quinn."  
  
"What's this about?" asks the native Quinn.  
  
"Is your father's name Michael?" asks visiting Quinn.  
  
"Yeah. How do you know?"  
  
"Is your mother's name Elizabeth?"  
  
"No, it's not."  
  
"Well, there's something we have to tell you."  
  
And so Quinn tells the native Quinn a condensed version of his story.  
  
"Wow," says Native Quinn. "You sure tell an interesting story."  
  
"I once encountered a duplicate of mine who was female," says Quinn. "Our fathers are duplicates of each other, but they apparently married different women. In a sense, we are interdimensional half-brothers."  
  
"I hope this isn't some sort of scam."  
  
"It's not. and anyway, I think you won't be able to help us. If you don't believe us, then you are not familiar with interdimensional travel."  
  
"Okay, buddy."  
  
Native Quinn closes the door. And he smiles.  
  
He goes to his bedroom and turns on his Power Macintosh G4. Soon he writes a story about parallel universes.   
  
Maggie and Quinn walk along a sidewalk after leaving Quinn's interdimensional half-brother. "It just occurred tom me," says Maggie. "If we get home, I'm gonna have to stay behind in whatever world we do."  
  
"Oh yeah," says Quinn. He had not forgotten Maggie's allergic reaction to the air in his home world. "Listen, maybe there's a way for you to breathe the air on our world."  
  
"We can't risk it," says Maggie. "Once you fix the tracker, I'll have to stay behind. Besides, I wouldn't fit in if there is already a Maggie Beckett on that world."  
  
"And if there's another you on the world you stay behind in?"  
  
Maggie thinks. "Let's just cross the bridge when we get there."  
  
July 25, 1997  
  
A squad of U.S. Army soldiers patrol Hermosa Beach. It is early in the morning, a few hours before dawn. The soldiers had been civilians before their National Guard unit was placed under the command of the United States Army. For the past two weeks the enemy has conducted bombing raids. The soldiers notice that there is less resistance.  
  
then they hear whistling sounds. The whistling sounds are followed by explosions.  
  
"Get back!" yells an Army sergeant.  
  
Missiles and artillery shells are fired from positions offshore. They strike buildings in Hermosa Beach, reducing them to rubble. The bonbardment continues for many countless minutes.  
  
Then the soldiers who survived the bonbardment see something over the horizon. One of them looks through a pair of binoculars.  
  
"Enemy ships," he says. He can see huge ships approaching the beach. Above in the sky, helicopters approach.  
  
The soldier recognizes the boats in front. Thery appear to be amphibious landing boats, oike the ones used in the Normandy invasion in 1944!  
  
The enemy ships fire more artillery shells at the beach. The explosions from the impact kill some of the soldiers. The enemy helicopters then fire tube-launched, optically-tracked, wire-guided missiles at the soldiers, killing more of them.  
  
Most of the soldiers posted at Hermosa Beach are dead now. The few survivors take a look at the amphibious boats. They now open, and they see tanks and armored personnel carriers wading through the shallow coastal waters approaching the shore. The tanks fire laser beams and the soldiers take whatever cover they can.   
  
Only one soldier is left on the beach. He sees an armored personnel carrier stop on the sands of the beach. The door opens and enemy troops come out, clad in armor from head to toe.   
  
He tries to retreat back into the streets of Hermosa Beach. But one of the enemy troops opens fire with a laser. The laser beam hits the American soldier in the back, killing him. The enemy troops stand grand, securing the beach.  
  
Now the enemy tanks get on the streets of Hermosa Beach, with helicopters providing air support. The tanks' crews take a look. the naval bonbardment had knocked down many of the buildings. Rubble covers the streets, but that poses little problem to the tanks which were designed for going over rough terrain.  
  
A U.S. Army M-1 Abrams tank is standing at the intersection of Hermosa Avenue and Tenth Street. Its crew spots the enemy tanks. They open fire with their main gun. One of the enemy tanks is hit and flips over. The crew cheers. But then one of the enemy tanks fires a high-powered laser beam, which turns the Abrams tank into flaming debris, incinerating the crew.   
  
President Rob Rubin sits in the situation room, dressed in a robe. An Army soldier had woken him up at this early hour.  
  
"We have reports of invasions on our Atlantic and Pacific coasts," says an Army lieutenant colonel. "The enemy seems to have advanced weaponry. Our forces are in retreat."  
  
"Don't they have air support?" asks the President.  
  
"Most of our aircraft was destroyed in the past two weeks of bombing raids," replies the colonel. "There is very little air support. Basically we have foot soldiers fighting against tanks and helicopters along with enemy infantry."  
  
"What about naval support?"  
  
"Most of our warships were sunk, sir," says a Navy commander. "Our shipyards were bombed to ruins so we are unable to manufacture any more ships."  
  
President Rubin looks at a wall map of the United States. He can see where the invasion zones are marked.  
  
Wade Welles and Rembradt Brown watch the events unfold as they sit in the Chandler Hotel Lounge and Sports Bar.   
  
"The enemy has now launched an invasion of our soil," says a Fox News anchor. "We now bring you to our correspondent in the streets of Los Angeles."  
  
"I'm here with the U.S. Army," says a reporter reporting from an intersection in Los Angeles. "The Army has deployed units to guard strategic points."  
  
Rembrandt notices the buildings in that area have all been reduced to rubble.  
  
"We are going to dig in and slaughter the enemy invaders," says an Army lieutenant. "We may not know who the enemy is, but we will not surrender."  
  
The two of them look behind them. A helicopter approaches them.  
  
Then the image on the screen becomes snow. After a few secionds, it goes back to the Fox Newsroom.  
  
"We lost contact with our reporter in the field," says the news anchor. The expression on his face implied to the viewers what he knew about the field reporter's fate.  
  
Then Wade and Rembrandt hear machine gun fire and rocket fire. the battle has reached their block! Then the hotel is rocked by nearby explosions. They both go to the basement to take shelter in the boiler room. they stay there for countless minutes. They say nithing, and the only sound is that of distant explosions.   
  
Then the explosions and the gunfire stop. Wade, Rembrandt, and the other hotel workers go back to the first floor. they look around. A few things areknocked over, and there are a few bullet holes in the wall and a shattered window, but the first floor had not been hit with a missile or an artillery shell.  
  
"At least it's over for the moment," says Wade. As she looks around, she thinks. This can't be her world! Her world is a peaceful place, not a war zone!  
  
Her memories betray her wishful thinking. Everything she checked out indicated this was her world-the world's history and her own personal history.   
  
She and Rembrandt go out of the hotel and look at the damage. They can see pieces of buildings littering Wilshire Boulevard. They see partially collapsed buildings; the Chandler got off lucky. A car parked on the street is now a flaming wreck. There are bodies of dead American soldiers.   
  
They both look up a t a helicopter circling the sky above. They look at the emblem.  
  
That is not an American helicopter!  
  
Then a tank rolls down the street. Wade and Rembrandt notice alien writing on the tank, writing they are not familiar with.   
  
They duck behind the front door as they see an armored personnel carrier stop on the street. They see soldiers clad in head-to-toe armor come out and secure this block of Wilshire Boulevard. None of them dare go out to the street.  
  
And then a voice comes from a louspeaker in the helicopter.  
  
"This is the Kromagg Dynasty!" yells the voice. "We are now in control. All humans are to surrender. anyone who resists will be killed!"  
  
"Oh no," says Wade. Even after a year, she can not forget her encounter with the kromaggs. she hweard how they went from world to world, conquering the humans and enslaving them.  
  
And now they have come to her home.  
  
Rembrandt holds her. Moments later, a squad of armored soldiers enters the Chandler and point their lasers at everyone. Everyone gets down on their knees.  
  
The squad commander removes his helmet, featuring a hariless head. He flashes a wicked smile.  
  
Wade and Rembrandt sit inside a bus along with the others captured in Los Angeles. They wonder where the kromaggs are taking them. For all they know, they could be going to the kromagg homeworld where they will be slaves, or where they will be killed and their eyes eaten. Everyone is too afraid to talk.  
  
They see that the bus is crossing a bridge. Rembrandt recognizes the place; they are heading to Terminal Island.  
  
The bus finally stops inside the Long Beach Naval Station, which had closed two years before and is now used as a base of operations for the Kromagg Dynasty forces.Wade notices construction equipment around; she wonders if the kromaggs brought it from their world or if they were appropriate from her world.   
  
The humans on board the bus are ordered off and they are marched through the base. They can see quonset huts set up for the officers and troops. Rembrandt sees their destination-a barbed wire enclosure.  
  
The humans are all herded in, and then the gate is locked. There are already humans in the enclosure, some of them American soldiers who had surrendered.   
  
Wade breaks the silence. "I hope Quinn never makes it home," she says. 


	8. Mind Games

July 29, 1997  
  
Charles Manson sits inside his cell in the San Quentin Maximum Security Prison. He had been here for almost thirty years, ever since being convicted of a string of murders in Los Angeles. He had been eligible for parole for the whole time, and yet he has been denied parole.  
  
Today he is in for a surprise.   
  
He sees a man enter his cell block. The first thing Manson notices is that the man looks stranger than any man he has ever seen. He also notices the man is dressed like a soldier.  
  
The strange-looking soldier opens the cell door. He apparently wants all of the inmates to go to the courtyard.  
  
Charles Manson follows the soldier. He arrives in the courtyard and notices all of the inmates are here. He recognizes Richard Ramirez, the NightStalker.  
  
Then one of the strange-looking men speaks. "Greetings," he says in English. "I have come to inform you that the government that put you away has fallen, and that the Kromagg Dynasty is now in control. There will be some changes around here."  
  
"I wonder what he means," asks a prisoner.  
  
"The Kromagg Dynasty declares you all to be free."  
  
There is a loud cheering from all of the prisoners, some who were sentenced to death, some sentenced to life without parole.   
  
"There is only one law. Do not get in our way. Other than that, you may do as you please."  
  
Then San Quentin's main gate is opened, and there is an immediate stampede. Thousands of inamtes rush out to revel in their newfound freedom. some of the unlucky inmates get trampled in the stampede and killed.  
  
Charles Manson is among those who make it out of prison.  
  
"Free at last, free at last," he says. "Thank God Almighty, I'm free at last."  
  
Thomas Beckett sits inside his cell at the U.S. Disciplinary Barracks in Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. the whole place has been in lockdown for two days since the enemy which attacked the United States took over. He wonders what these strange-looking soldiers want.  
  
It is certainly better than thinking how he ended up here. He had once been a lieutenant general in the United States Marine Corps. But then he was involved in an illegal scheme involving a defense contractor. He was court-martialed, convicted, and sentenced to twelve years in Leavenworth.  
  
"I hear foosteps," says his cellmate, El Sid. "One of them must be coming." El Sid was a staff sergeant in the U.S. Army Special Forces, decorated with a Silver Star ans a Purple Heart for his service in the Gulf War. He had a hot temper, which led him to give a backhand slap to an Army general a year ago. El Sid pleaded guilty to assault and is serving a two-year term in Leavenworth.  
  
The strange-looking soldier appears. He wears a black uniform with bright brass buttons down the middle. There are medals pinned to the soldier's chest.  
  
"We are from the Kromagg Dynasty," he says.  
  
"So you know our language," says El Sid.  
  
"We are a people from a faraway world. I wish to speak with the human named Thomas Beckett."  
  
"That's me," says Thomas Beckett.  
  
"We reviewed the records of the prisoners here, and we know you were once a general. We are informing you that your government has fallen, and it is no longer in control."  
  
Beckett is silent. He never thought he would witness the fall of the United States of America.  
  
"We need the people of this world to cooperate with us to rebuild society, people like you. will you accept our offer?"  
  
"Sure," says Beckett. "It sure beats prison."  
  
Two officers and a sergeant from the Kromagg Dynasty Army enter the opulent palace. They speak to one of the palace guards, and he guides them to a small room.  
  
A human with a thick black moustache, dressed in a suit, greets them.  
  
"We are soliders frok the Kromagg Dynasty," says the kromagg officer. "We come from a faraway world. We inform you that all of your enemies have been vanquished."  
  
"All of my enemies?" asks the man.  
  
"Yes," replies the Army officer. "We believe you will be a useful ally to us. We won't garrison any troops here. We just want to be allies."  
  
"Very well then," he says.   
  
Saddam Hussein smiles.  
  
"Sir, we received a report that the enemy troops have landed on Yerba Buena Island," says a U.S. Marine corporal.  
  
"What?" asks Major General Alexander Hunt.   
  
"The Marine garrisson is in combat with them."  
  
"We must not allow them to take this facility," says the general. He goes to a computer and types at the keyboard. A message appears for the self-destruct system. He enters the password, and another dailog box appears on the screen asking for the time to be set. He sets the time for ten minutes.   
  
"Are you going to blow the place up, sir?" asks Colonel Angus Rickman.  
  
"We won't let the enemy take any of this," replies Hunt. "We're going to prepare for the evacuation."  
  
"Yes, sir."  
  
Ever since the July 11 attacks, the personnel at the Yerba Buena U.S. Marine Corps Research Center have formulated an evacuation plan to escape to one of the outposts they set up on another version of Earth. Bennish and Wing had already gone over there to ensure the evacuation site is secure. They had communicated to each other via written messages thrown across the dimensions.  
  
Captain Maggie Beckett looks at a monitor screen showing a feed from the Level One lobby video camera. she sees people coming in.  
  
She sees they are enemy soldiers.  
  
"Sir, the enemy has entered the building," she says.  
  
"I can see that, Captain," says General Hunt. "We begin the evacuation now."  
  
He goes to the computwer console and makes sure the countdown is silent. Then he cloiks okay.  
  
"Ten minutes until self-destruct," a female voice says. "there will be no further announcement."  
  
Diana Davis opens the wormhole to the evacuation Earth. Hunt then takes his nine-millimeter Beretta and fires at the keyboards and mice, preventing any further input. Everyone in Sub-Level One goes to the embarkation room. After three minutes, the door is locked.   
  
"Civilians first!" shouts Hunt. The civilian technicians jump into the red vortex. There is a noise at the door to the embarkation room, the enemy is trying to go inside. "Enlistees next!" The enlisted marines jump into the vortex. First the privates, then the corporals, then the sergeants. Hunt looks up and sees the enemy in the control room. He notices sparks coming from the door; the enemy is trying to cut it open. "Officers go!" The company grade officers go in, including Captain Beckett. Then the field grade officers go.  
  
"See you in the other side, sir,:" says Colonel Rickman as he gives a salute.  
  
Then the door is breached, and the enemy rushes in. General Hunt jumps into the vortex and leaves his world.  
  
The kromagg soldiers stand guard before the vortex; they think better than to jump into an unknown vortex.  
  
They have no idea of the countdown.  
  
Finally, the self-destruct timer reaches zero, setting off explosives around the building. The kromagg soldiers are killed in the blast and the whole structure collapses.   
  
Wade Welles looks as the light shines in her right eye. Then her right index finger is placed on a pad.  
  
The kromagg guard leads her through a concrete hall. Occasionally, she receives an electric shock in the spine from a device similar to a cattle prod. The shocks hurt. She is then pushed into a cell.  
  
She sees Rembrandt Brown inside. "Hi, Remmy," she says.  
  
"I'm glad you're here," replies Rembrandt.  
  
They both sit in the cell. A guard watches the whole cell block. They had been brought here today from Terminal Island; apparently the kromaggs set up a more secure facility to hold the human prisoners. Now they wait. And they hope Quinn does not come back.   
  
Hours later, some guards come and open the door to Wade and Rembrandt's cell. The leader of the guards shocks Wade with a prod. she gets the message. Rembrandt looks on as Wade is taken away.  
  
Wade is led to a small, dim room. For a few minutes, the kromaggs scan her with equipment and stuff and inject something into her. She wonders what the kromaggs will ask her. Most of the people in the prison believe that the kromaggs are from another planet in this universe; Wade knows the truth.   
  
"Hello, Wade," a male voice says.  
  
Wade recognizes the voice. It can't be. "Quinn?' she asks.  
  
"Yes," says Quinn, appearing in front of her.   
  
"You came back."  
  
"I've come back."  
  
"I was hoping you;d never come back, hoping you'd never see your home destroyed."  
  
"It's okay, Wade. The kromaggs are our friends."  
  
"Huh?" asks Wade.  
  
"This world is evil, full of stealing and violence and murder. The kromaggs want to create a paradise."  
  
"Your mother."  
  
"She's fine. The kromaggs are simply trying to set up a government, a better government than the one we had. Once we accept their rule, we can live in peace."  
  
"No!" shouts Wade, even with her mind muddled by drugs. "You can't be Quinn.This is a trick!"  
  
"Let's take her back," says the officer in charge. He has Wade escorted back to her cell.  
  
Along the way, Wade sees that Rembrandt is being escorted to the interrogation room.  
  
Rembrandt is scanned and injected with drugs.  
  
"Hello, Mr. Brown," he hears.  
  
Rembrandt looks a tthe figure speaking to him. "It can't be. You're dead!"  
  
"I am very much alive, Mr. Brown," says Professor Maximilian Arturo.  
  
"How? I saw you get shot on a world which was then torn apart!"  
  
"the kromaggs knew the danger rtrhat world was in. They went to rescue everyone-including me. My wound wasn't fatal; I just lost consciousness. But I have have surely died if I was left on that world."  
  
"How could you trust them?"  
  
"the kromaggs want to make the world a better place. You know the problems on our world. The kromaggs will take us to a higher stage of enlightenment."  
  
Rembrandt wonders if this is true. He searches his drug-addled mind for memories of his last encounter with the kromaggs. "No!" he shouts. "I know what they do. I don't know if you are an illusion or a double, but you are not the professor I spent two years with!"  
  
Wade and Rembrandt eat the dinner the kromaggs provided. It is some bland, nondescript food.  
  
"We can't yield to their tricks," says Rembrandt.   
  
"You're right," says Wade. "What can we do?"  
  
"Listen, girl," says the musician. "They can keep us in here, but we are free in here." He points to his head. "and in here." He puts in hand on his heart.  
  
August 1, 1997  
  
Wade is once again taken from her cell. She does not go into the interrogation room that the kromaggs took her on prior occasions. It is to a different room.  
  
Her wrists and ankles are fastened to a wall.  
  
"Tell us, human," says the interrogator. "We know you traversed the dimensions. Where is the base of operations."  
  
"I won't tell you," says Wade.  
  
Then she receives an electric shock in the back.   
  
"Tell us where the humans have their quantum probability translocation drive."  
  
"No."   
  
And then Wade is shocked again.  
  
Meanwhile, in a secret underground Army base, President Rob Rubin reviews the status of the war.  
  
"The enemy calls themselves the Kromagg Dynasty," says the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs. "They claim to be from another planet in a distant galaxy."  
  
"So this is an alien invasion," says the President.  
  
"Yes, sir. As you see, the kromaggs overran almost the whole country. They've taken the major meteroplotian areas, and several towns are under siege. Only the Rockies and the Appalachians are under our control."  
  
"And we're surrounded."  
  
"Fortunately, the mountainous terrain we are in makes it difficult for the kromaggs to lay siege to this base. There have been several enemy incursions into the area, but all have been repelled."  
  
"And yet we are not receiving reinforcements nor do we have a source for ammunition. They may not take this area today or tomorrow, but if this war of attrition continues, we will be surrounded, cut off from food or supplies."  
  
August 13, 1997  
  
Rembrandt Brown is put into his cell again after a torture and interrogation session. His back is stil, sore from the pain of the electric shocks and his mind is still muddled with drugs. He sees Wade in there.  
  
The kromaggs take Wade from the cell. "Listen, Mr. Brown," says the interrogation officer. "We know you and this woman are close. You will tell us what we want to know or we will ship her to a breeding camp in another world."  
  
A breeding camp? Rembrandt can only imagine what would happen to her there.   
  
"No," he says. "This is all a trick. I won't say anything to you maggots."  
  
"You will never see this female again!"  
  
"THIS IS ALL A TRICK!!! I WON'T PLAY THESE MIND GAMES WITH YOU. I'LL NEVER TELL."  
  
"You made your choice. I hope you can live with the guilt."  
  
Rembrandt looks at Wade's eyes.  
  
He can see the fear.  
  
This is no trick, he grimly realizes.  
  
"Wait!" he shouts "I'll tell you. The sliding machine is in San Francisco. In a place called Yerba Buena. Just leave her here."  
  
"Sorry, Mr. Brown, you should have cooperated with us from the start. Now she will pay the price for your defiance."  
  
"No, take me instead! You want to breed more of you. Use me! I've had a baby before; she didn't!"  
  
But his plea is unanswered.  
  
Wade Welles is gone.  
  
Rembrandt Brown sits down, with tears of rage and grief and despair streaming from his eyes. 


	9. Escape From Earth Prime

August 14, 1997  
  
The sun rises, and the soldiers, sailors, marines, and airmen at the Kromagg Dynasty Joint Forces Southern California Garrisson begin their shift. It is a large facility located in Terminal Island. This place was once the site of a United States Naval Station and a Naval Shipyard, now it serves the the headquarters for the Kromagg Dynasty military forces in southern California. Some of the buildings were old U.S. Navy buildings that were repaired, other buildings were built from the ground up. The flag of the Kromagg Dynasty flies proud on a flagpole that once held Old Glory. Kromagg Dynasty Navy ships are docked at the piers, and constrcution begins on another naval vessel. A garrison of marines is assigned to defend the headquarters from attack.  
  
Two Army officers enter a conference room in the Terminal Island Army Garrison.  
  
"Open a channel to the commander of the world headquarters," says a general.  
  
"Yes, sir," replies a private.  
  
The image of a Navy admiral appears, the supreme commander of the Kromagg Dynasty forces on this version of Earth.  
  
"What do you have to report?" asks the admiral.  
  
"Admiral, we interrogated a human who admitted to quantum translocation," says the officer who interrogated Rembrandt Brown. "Under my methods, he gave the location of the humans' quantum translocation drive."  
  
"Where is it?"  
  
"It is in a place called Yerba Buena, somewhere in San Francisco," says the officer. "I've already sent this information to the San Francisco garrison. We will be sending copies of all relevant reports to the World Headquarters."  
  
"Thank you."  
  
Minutes later, the staff of the Joint Forces World Headquarters in Norfolk, Virginia review the information.  
  
"It seems that the Army garrison in San Francisco sent troops to take Yerba Buena," says an Air Force colonel. "But the humans destroyed one of the buildings."  
  
"No doubt to prevent us from seizing their quantum translocation drive," says the admiral.   
  
"At least the humans of this world will no longer be able to traverse the dimensions," says a Marine general.  
  
August 16, 1997  
  
Rembrandt Brown sits in his cell after a work detail. The kromaggs have not questioned him since he revealed the location of the sliding generator in Yerba Buena.He wonders if they captured the facility. He also wonders if this world's Maggie Beckett was all right. He was getting to like her almost as much as the other Maggie.   
  
He sits down. Maybe Quinn will come to the rescue.  
  
No, he thinks. Quinn and Maggie can't take on the kromaggs. They end up in here.  
  
He is here.   
  
"I'm gonna find you, Wade," he says.  
  
And then he hears footsteps. It is a guard making rounds.   
  
Focusing his anger and grief, he steps out of the cell.  
  
The guard is alarmed and takes out his prod. But Rembrandt will not let him deliver the shock. He kicks the guard back. He then rushes him, takes the prod, and shocks him over and over again.   
  
Remrbandt looks at the prod. He hopes its batteries did not run out.  
  
He takes keys from the guard and goes to a door. It takes less than a minute for him to unlock it. He opens it and runs through.  
  
He uses a tactic called shock and run. Any kromagg in his way gets shocked with the prod. He knows that the kromaggs in the prison camp are not armed with lasers or pistols. Having served in the militaty, he is aware of an officer's reluctance to call for reinforcements from other units.   
  
He escapes out inot the fresh air. Looking to his left, he sees a military truck. He gets in the driver's seat and starts the engine, thankful that these vehicles do not need keys. He immediately puts the truck in gear and heads out to the streets of Los Angeles.   
  
Noticing the street signs, he finds out he is on Sunset Boulevard. He passes several bombed-out buildings. He looks in the rearview mirror and sees the police car. The kromaggs' military police are following him.  
  
He crosses the Hollywood Freeway and continues into the Hollywood neighborhood of Los Angeles. He wonders where he can go. Perhaps he can hide in the Santa Monica Mountains.   
  
Suddenyl, military vehciles block his path at the intersection with Gower Street. Rembrandt makes a left turn. He sees another vehicular blockade.   
  
So he crashes throuhg the gate of Sunset-Gower Studios. He stops the truck next to a sound stage and gets inside.  
  
Maybe he can slip out unnoticed, he thinks.the interior is dark; there are no lights. There is this smell of dust, as the studio had not been used in almost a month. He can feel the movable walls used in the sets of television productions. He wanders around and finds himself in a set of what looks like a kitchen.   
  
He hears the footsteps of the kromagg soldiers.   
  
He doubts the kromaggs have night vision. He silently walks through the sound stage, looking for an exit.  
  
Then he sees a spark. He feels something hit him. It is one of the ceiling light fixtures.  
  
Rembrandt is now back in the torture room in the prison camp.  
  
"Rembrandt Brown, you are guilty of Treason, Sedition, and driving without a license," says an officer. "You will be punished."  
  
The prod delivers a powerful electric shock into Rembrandt's spine. His screams can be heard all over the camp.  
  
August 28, 1997  
  
Rembrandt Brown had been kept in isolation sicne his escape attempt. No one speaks to him.   
  
"Remmy," he hears. "It's me, Quinn."  
  
Remrbandt looks and sees Quinn Mallory.  
  
"No!" he shouts. "This is a trick. You're not real!"  
  
"He was real," Rembrandt says an hour later. "He came back."  
  
"Well, we can't leave him in there," says Marta, who had worked in the Chandler with Rembrandt and Wade.  
  
"I know. I lost Wade; I won't lose Q-Ball!"  
  
August 29, 1997  
  
"We captured a human named Quinn Mallory," says the commandant of the Kromagg Dynasty Los Angeles Re-Education Camp. "After checking records, we find he is the son of one Elizabeth Mallory, who is your prisoner. We also found that his father is Michael Mallory, whose counterpart from our world invented the weapon that defeated us."  
  
"Are you sure?" asks the commandant of the San Francisco Re-Education Camp.  
  
"Yes, we checked the records of the former United States government."  
  
"We have a surprising revelation for you. We got some interesting information from Elizabeth Mallory. I will send you a copy of the full report. In the meantime, I will have her transferred to your camp."  
  
"What did she tell you?"  
  
"Read the report. You will be surprised."  
  
A van pulls up to a manta transport plane parked on a taxiway in San Francisco International Airport, which had been commandeered by the Kromagg Dynasty Air Force. The military police open the doors and they lead their prisoner, a human woman named Elizabeth Mallory out. She is escorted to the manta plane. In less than five minutes, the plane takes off and heads for Los Angeles-the World Headqurters had given this flight top priority, given what this woman had told her captors.  
  
And so Elizabeth Mallory is sent to meet the son whose very arrival was a miracle, a meeting that will forever change the course of his life.   
  
Quinn Mallory watches as the last seconds on the timer run down. He has no doubts about this. He had learned from his mother where he was really from. he vows to find his brother, his birth parents, and then to liberate his world and free his adoptive mother.  
  
He opens the vortex and he, Maggie Beckett, and Rembrandt Brown go in.  
  
"It is confirmed," says a kromagg sergeant. "A vortex was detected in Los Angeles."  
  
"So the son of Mallory has gone to find our world," says the commander of the Kromagg Dynasty Forces. "the time will come when we can reclaim our home."  
  
"What of his mother?" asks a general.  
  
"Ship her to another world." 


	10. The Journey Continues

Rembrandt Brown flies through the vortex after three months. Once again, he will be sliding from world to world.   
  
He reaches the end of the tunnel and lands on some grass. He looks at the vortex which leads to his home world. It closes and shuts the way home.  
  
He looks around to see if Quinn Mallory and Maggie Beckett made it here rather than being stuck on that kromagg-infested world. They are both here.  
  
Then he checks his surroundings. He finds himself in a park, and in the distance sees the tower of the Golden Gate Bridge. He is back in San Francisco.  
  
"We have eight days here," says Quinn, looking at the timer. "We'd better get working on inputting my brother's world's coordinates into the timer."  
  
They all walk towards a granite statue. they recognize the statue as that of Abraham Lincoln. On a plaque it reads "ABRAHAM LINCOLN 1809-1885"  
  
"It looks like he wasn't assassinated on this world," says Rembrandt.  
  
"Assassinated?" asks Maggie.  
  
"President Lincoln was shot in Ford's Theater in 1865 by John Wilkes Booth," says Quinn.  
  
"I don't remember anything like that happening on my world," says Wade.  
  
"Well, I guess here he managed to survive 1865. Now we'd better get going."  
  
Teh three of them walk along a concrete pathway in Golden Gate Park. Quinn is still disturbed about the revelations of the past day and a half.  
  
"Remmy," he asks, "was that world home?"  
  
Rembrandt looks at Quinn with great sorrow. "I can't lie to you, Q-Ball," he says. "Yes, it was home."  
  
Quinn's heart sinks. Any reason to deny that the kromaggs conquered his home and took his mother is now gone. And Wade is gone, shipped off to some breeder camp. He then focuses on the task at hand. "I know where we can look."  
  
The three of them get off the cable car, and then they head to a huge building-the Doppler Computer Superstore. Quinn worked at its Earth Prime duplicate. It was a long time ago.  
  
"Maybe there's something in here that can help us input my brother's coordinates into the timer," he says, entering the store.  
  
The layout of the store is the same as Quinn remembers it. there are various brands of personal computers on display. Other parts of the store feature printers and scanners and modems. The shelves are packed with computer accessories like floppy disks and cables.  
  
Quinn approaches a store employee in a blue vest. "Excuse me," he says. "We're looking for..."  
  
When she turns aorund, the three of them gasp.  
  
That woman is Wade Welles!  
  
"Wade," says Rembrandt. "I'm glad you're here. How did you manage to escape the kromaggs?"  
  
"What are you talking about?" asks Wade, obviously confused.  
  
"Wade, we thought you were gone," says Quinn. "But now you're here."  
  
"Guys," says Maggie. "She's not the Wade we are looking for."  
  
Quinn and Rembrandt look at the young woman who looks exactly like their lost friend.   
  
"Well, I'm glad I'm appreciated," says Wade. Then she looks at Quinn. "I recognize you."  
  
"You know me?" asks Quinn.  
  
"Yeah, you're Quinn Mallory. You play for the San Francisco Giants! I'm a big baseball fan, you know."  
  
"I see," says Quinn. "Is there a computer with Internet access here."  
  
"One of our display computers have Internet access. I'll show you."  
  
Wade leads Quinn to a Power Macintosh G4. Quinn opens the Netscape Communicator program and then accesses the Google web site at http://www.google.com. He types in his name into the search field.  
  
And there over one hundred websites about Quinn Mallory. They all seem to indicate he is a baseball player.   
  
One link catches his attention.   
  
The web page is titled "Athlete Brothers Tell All-Sports Illustrated's Interview with Colin and Quinn Mallory". The web page is on the Sports Illustrated web site.  
  
Quinn clicks on the link and reads the article which was dated in March of 1997. From what he can read, this world's Quinn has a brother named Colin, who plays basketball for the Sacramento Kings.   
  
The page with the article aslo has a photograph of Colin and Quinn. Colin wears a basketball jersey, and Quinn wears his baseball outfit. Quinn notices the resemblance, and studies every detail of Colin's face.  
  
"Looks like we found your brother," says Maggie.  
  
"Or one of his doubles, like we did with Wade," says Quinn. "We'll just compare this world's coordinates with the coordinates on the microdot. If they are the same, we look for Colin."  
  
Quinn types in another search, this time for parallel universes. Maybe there is useful information.  
  
He looks through the list of links, and one stands out. It is an Amazon.com link to a book called Universal Mirror.  
  
The author of the book is one Maximilian Arturo.  
  
"First Wade, and then the professor," says Rembrandt. "I just hope we don't run into any more ghosts."  
  
Quinn clicks the link and reads Amazon.com's description of the book. In the book, Arturo explains how experiments with light and shadow prove that the universe consists of sets of entities which can interact directly with entities in its own set, but can only interact with entities in other sets via quantum wave interference. Arturo refers to these sets of entities as parallel universes.  
  
Quinn goes back to the Google web site and enters Maximilian Arturo. He gets Arturo's home page at the university-the same university where Quinn had classes in the fall of 1994. Arturo has office hourts on Tuesday and Thursday.  
  
"Will we have to see him?" asks Rembrandt.  
  
"He may be able to help us," replies Quinn.   
  
September 2, 1997  
  
Quinn, Rembrandt, and Maggie arrive at the university where Quinn once attended in another version of Earth. They had stayed at the Dominion Hotel, and Quinn was able to withdraw money from his wealthy celebrity duplicate's bank account. They also found out that this world was not the world where Quinn's brother was relocated, so they had to see the professor. They enter the building and look at the directory to find Professor Maximilian Arturo.   
  
They ride up an elevator and enter a tiled hallway. They count the doors until they reach the right door. A nameplate with the professor's name on it is right next to the door.  
  
They all enter and visit the duplicate of a man whom Quinn and Rembrandt slid with for more than two years.   
  
"May I help you," says the professor.  
  
"Hello, my name is Quinn Mallory," says Quinn. "I've read your book Universal Mirror."  
  
"You mean the baseball star?" asks Arturo. "I did not know that you were interested in quantum mechanics! I'm a big fan of American baseball. There are two things I love-quantum mechanics and American baseball."  
  
"Well, I'm not the baseball star," says Quinn. "Let me explain."  
  
And so Quinn tells Arturo a condensed version of his story-about building the sliding generator, his mother's revelation, and his decision to look for his brother.  
  
"Do you take me for a blithering idiot?" says Arturo. "I know that traversing the dimensions requires more energy than the total solar output over the past million years."  
  
"You're wrong, and I'm proof of it," says Quinn. "This timer will reach zero tomorrow, and then I will open a vortex and we will continue. I hope that our next trip will be to my brother's world."  
  
"So open the vortex in front of me," says Arturo. "Once you get to the other side, you can open a vortex back to this universe."  
  
"Except that if we slide to the next world, we might have to wait weeks to slide back here," answers Quinn. "And if we get back, we might have less than an hour. We have four days to solve this."  
  
"Mr. Mallory, may I see your signature?"  
  
"Sure." Quinn signs a page of a notepad. Arturo looks at it and then looks at the screen of his Power Macintosh G4.  
  
"Identical," he says. "I doubt a handwriting expert can tell the difference between your signature and the baseball star's."  
  
"Tell you what," says Quinn. "You help us, and I'll autograph a baseball for you."  
  
"Then I can sell it on eBay," says the professor. "But I can not guarantee any results. After all, I had no idea such travel was practical-until today."  
  
"It's not as practical as Q-ball says it is," says Rembrandt. "Believe me, I've done it for two years."  
  
"Well, I do teach class, but I also do research. Perhaps in the afternoon."  
  
Later that afternoon, Quinn and Professor Arturo are in a lab. They study the timer.  
  
"Did you build this?" asks Arturo.  
  
"No, Egyptians from another Earth did," answers Quinn. "It's a long story."  
  
"How do you operate it?"  
  
"The current numerical display shows how much time is left until the vortex can be opened. When it hits zero, we can open the vortex. We slide through and then the timer resets."  
  
"What happens if you do not open the vortex? Or if the timer stays here after you slide."  
  
"Then the timer will not be able to open a vortex for twenty-nine point seven years."  
  
"Oh. How do you select the world you go to?"  
  
Quinn presses a button on the timer. "The timer display shows the coordinates for the next world. By pressing this button, we can scroll through the list of coordinates. The timer records the coordinates."  
  
"There must be a storage medium in the timer."  
  
"That's right, Professor. Anyway, we can visit any world we have been to. and if we press this button here, it sets the destination world to random."  
  
"What is that numeric keypad for? Do you use it to input new coordinates?"  
  
"It was used to set the time duration for the next world," says Quinn. "But we activated it early, and the timer got corrupted. Now whenever we slide, the amount of time until the next slide is completely random."  
  
"Can it be used to input the coordinates?"  
  
"Yes, it can."  
  
"Can it be taken apart and still function after being put back together?"  
  
"Yes, it can. There wass one time when lightning struck the vortex and fried the timer. We managed to repair it before we missed the sliding window."  
  
"then let us study the timer, Mr. Mallory."  
  
And so Quinn and the professor take the timer apart. they can see the circuit board, the Motorola microchips, and a crystal.  
  
"that is the storage device," says Quinn, pointing to a shiny strip with wires soldered into it. "It is a holographic storage device."  
  
"Holographic storage is only theoretical," says Professor Arturo.  
  
"In this dimension, not in other dimensions."  
  
"So where do you keep your brother's coordinates?"  
  
"In here." Quinn presents the miucrodot his mother gave him. "It appears to be a device which can feed images directly into the brain."  
  
"Incredible," says the professor.  
  
the two of them work together at reassembling the timer. After Quinn screws in the last screw, he puts the microdot on his forehead.  
  
He once again hears the message from his birth parents, about the history of his world. He writes something on a piece of paper.   
  
Then he removes the microdot. "These are the coordinates," he says.  
  
He then presses a button on the timer and compares the current world's coiordinates to the coordinates he wrote. They do not match. So he then tries to input the coordinates for the next world using the timer's numeric keypad.   
  
"It's not working," says Quinn.   
  
"Let me take a look," says Arturo. "How do I view the list of coordainates."  
  
"Press that button there."  
  
"Of course." Arturo scrolls throuhg the list. He starts writing numerals on a notepad. "Interesting."  
  
"what?' asks Quinn.  
  
"Check this out."  
  
Quinn looks at the list of numerals Professor Arturo wrote, the coordinates from the timer.   
  
"The coordinates you wrote down has more digits than the coordinates on the timer," says Arturo. "that means your timer uses a different coordinate system."  
  
"Different coordinates."  
  
Professor Arturo goes to the huge wall map to the right of the door. "Here, we use degrees to measure latitude/longitude coordinates. One can easily create a different coordinate system for Earth using a different prime meridian and using different degree divisions. Or take a look a thermometer. We use two different systems of temperature measurement-Fahrenheit and Celsius."  
  
"so we have to translate the coordinates for my brother's world."  
  
"Yes, and you will need someone with more experience than me. I am sorry I can not help you, Mr. Mallory."  
  
Quinn returns to his suite in the Dominion, paid for with a withdrawl from his duplicate's bank account.   
  
"Any luck with the professor?" asks Rembrandt.  
  
"We hit one small problem," says Quinn. "It seems my brother's coordinates are written in a different system than the one our timer uses."  
  
"Say that again?" asks Maggie.  
  
"You've heard how distance can be measured in miles or kilometers, right?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"Well, my parents used on measurement for my brother's coordinates, and the timer uses a different measurement. to put it shortly, we can not reach my brother's world yet."  
  
"Well, we can't just give up, Q-ball," says Rembrandt. "We have to get the maggs off my world."  
  
"It's late, and we should get some rest."  
  
"You know, Quinn," says Maggie. "Rembrandt was telling me about my counterpart from his world. She was looking for you."  
  
"Did she know Wade?" asks Quinn.  
  
"Yeah, Wade met the other Maggie," says Rembrandt. "In a way, she would be my Maggie, since she was from my world. I wonder what happened to her; I wonder if she is all right."  
  
"From what you told me about her, I am sure she is doing fine," says Maggie. "I would have loved to meet her, though."  
  
And so the three of them go to sleep.  
  
September 3, 1997  
  
Quinn, Rembrandt, and Maggie once again visit Professor Maximilian Arturo in his office.   
  
"Hello," says the professor. "Have you come across a solution."  
  
"Not yet," says Quinn. "I came here to show you that what I was saying was true all along and to keep a promise."  
  
Professor Arturo hands Quinn a baseball, and Quinn signs it.  
  
"Well, goodbye," says Maggie.   
  
"So long," says Rembrandt.  
  
Quinn reads the LED readout. Five. Four. Three. Two. One.  
  
Then he opens the wormhole. Irt appears like a glowing whirlpool in the air. Quinn, Rembrandt, and Maggie all go through. about a minute later, the vortex closes.  
  
"Amazing," says Arturo, waving his hand through the space where the vortex was. 


End file.
